THE House prosecution on Tuesday put Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte on the witness stand to testify on P34.2 million worth of city government contracts awarded to Gencorp Industries Inc., a company his sister Vice President Sara Z. Duterte declared as a business interest.
Private prosecutor Atty. Theodore T. Te said the prosecution would seek to have Mayor Duterte declared a hostile witness as it examines his knowledge of Gencorp and contracts awarded by the Davao City government from 2022 to 2025.
“The testimony of the witness, Mayor Sebastian Zimmerman Duterte, is offered to prove the following matters: First, that he is a hostile witness, as defined and subject to the necessary foundation to be laid by the prosecution for the Honorable Impeachment Court to make such a declaration,” Te told the Senate impeachment court.
Te said the mayor would be questioned about 15 contracts for food and catering services awarded to Gencorp from 2022 to 2025.
He placed the total value of the contracts at P34,216,900.
Te said the prosecution would establish that Mayor Duterte, as Davao City’s head of the procuring entity or HOPE, approved the awards.
He also said the mayor would be questioned about Jaime T. Cruz, whom he identified as a major Gencorp stockholder and a co-stockholder of Duterte in another corporation.
The testimony forms part of the House prosecution’s presentation under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which covers allegations involving the Vice President’s unexplained wealth, financial disclosures and business interests.
The Vice President listed Gencorp among her business interests in her 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. SEC records previously presented at trial, however, did not list her directly as an incorporator, director or stockholder of Gencorp.
Mayor Duterte had earlier publicly acknowledged that the Davao City government entered into 19 contracts with Gencorp worth more than ₱33.2 million, but maintained that city officials had no knowledge of his sister’s declared interest in the company.
Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System Division Chief Rendell Sopeña later testified that PhilGEPS records showed 15 Davao City contracts awarded to Gencorp totaling P34,216,900.
Mayor Duterte brought with him documents in compliance with the impeachment court’s subpoena, prompting Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero to order the Clerk of Court to prepare copies for the court, prosecution and defense.
“The documents seem to be voluminous, about a hundred pages, counsel,” Escudero said.
The defense, through Atty. Justin Nicol Gular, objected to the relevance of Mayor Duterte’s testimony, arguing that previous testimony had already established that the Davao City transactions with Gencorp occurred after Sara Duterte’s term as city mayor.
“The defense would like to put on record that the testimony of the witness is irrelevant,” Gular said.
The defense also declined Escudero’s invitation to stipulate that Mayor Duterte was Davao City’s HOPE, leaving the prosecution to establish the matter through testimony.
Mayor Duterte took his oath before the impeachment court and affirmed that he understood his obligation to tell the truth.
The prosecution had earlier announced that it would ask the impeachment court to declare him a hostile witness, allowing prosecutors, subject to the court’s ruling and applicable rules, greater latitude in questioning a witness considered adverse to their case.
metrosundaily
