MANILA Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. on Thursday said Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte should answer questions about city government transactions involving Gencorp Industries Inc. when he testifies in the impeachment trial of his sister, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
“Kinakailangan linawin niya ang lahat ng mga Davao transactions,” Abante, chair of the House Committee on Human Rights, said during a press briefing.
Abante, an endorser of one of the impeachment complaints against the Vice President, said Mayor Duterte could be questioned about transactions entered into by the city government under his administration.
“Palagay ko hindi niya na pwedeng sabihing, ‘I don’t have any personal knowledge.’ Alam niya, eh. Kapatid niya ’yan, eh,” Abante said.
Being the Vice President’s brother does not by itself establish personal knowledge of her business interests. But prosecutors have said Mayor Duterte is being called because of his possible personal and official knowledge as Davao City mayor.
The transactions have come under scrutiny as House prosecutors build their Article II case involving allegations of unexplained wealth and the Vice President’s business interests.
Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System Division Chief Rendell Sopeña testified that Gencorp secured 49 government contracts during Duterte’s term as Vice President — 15 from the Davao City government, 33 from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Region XI and one from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region XI.
Sopeña placed the Davao City contracts at about P34.2 million, compared with P1.3 million from PhilHealth and P330,000 from OWWA.
The Vice President declared Gencorp as a business interest in her 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, although corporate records presented by the Securities and Exchange Commission did not list her as an incorporator or director.
Mayor Duterte has said the Davao City government had 19 contracts and transactions with Gencorp worth more than P33.2 million.
He maintained that he and other city officials and employees were unaware of his sister’s declared interest in the company and that the transactions were above board.
The Senate impeachment court has subpoenaed Mayor Duterte to appear from Sept. 28 to 30 and to bring official records involving Gencorp and related entities.
Prosecutors have also said they intend to ask the court to declare him a hostile witness.
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