AKBAYAN Partylist Representative Perci Cendaña criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team on Wednesday over their efforts to argue that she was never a stockholder in GenCorp Industries Inc.
In a strongly worded statement, Cendaña pointed out the glaring contradiction: the defense is seeking to disprove what Duterte herself reportedly declared in her official Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
“The defense is attempting to establish that VP Sara was not a stockholder of GenCorp. What kind of incompetence is that? It was VP Sara herself who declared it in her SALN!” Cendaña said.
The lawmaker argued that the situation raises serious questions about either the accuracy of the Vice President’s public disclosures or the credibility of her defense’s current position.
“Whether she is being dishonest or incompetent, either way, VP Sara is clearly unfit to hold public office,” Cendaña asserted. His remarks underscore the central conflict at the heart of the impeachment proceedings — the question of whether Duterte failed to properly declare assets and business interests, or whether her own sworn documents contain information she now seeks to dispute.
The issue has become a focal point during the defense’s presentation of evidence, with the prosecution insisting that the SALN entries themselves constitute admissions that cannot simply be dismissed. Cendaña’s statement echoes concerns that have been raised by several senator-judges during the trial, who have also pressed for clarity on why there appears to be such a fundamental disconnect between what was previously declared and what is now being argued in court.
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