HOUSE leaders on Wednesday said Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense appeared to be sinking as its first four witnesses failed to counter the prosecution’s evidence of alleged unexplained wealth, with some testimony even strengthening the case against her.
Deputy Speaker Francisco Paolo Ortega V said the House prosecution was seeing a pattern of weak testimony, particularly from Suzette Balucanag-Punay, in-house counsel of GenCorp Industries Inc. and Metro Chow Foods Corp.
“Well, baka masyado pa pong siguro maaga, but looking at the trend and the pattern, may butas na ’yung bangka, eh. Mukhang papunta na sa ‘the boat is sinking,’” Ortega said at a press briefing.
Ortega said he had expected Punay to challenge the prosecution’s financial findings but was disappointed by her testimony.
“Kasi I was expecting na itong witness natin from GenCorp would kahit man lang bumangga o masagot o ma-dispute man lang ’yung mga nilabas at inihain ng prosecution. Pero wala, wala talaga, eh,” he said.
Before Punay, the defense presented Davao City Assessor Jaime Adalin, Island Garden City of Samal Assessor John Kenneth Enumerables and Davao City Accountant Vingelin Bajan.
Adalin and Enumerables testified about property records and tax declarations, while Bajan was presented to address accounting and financial records. The prosecution questioned whether their testimony had sufficiently answered the evidence against Duterte.
House impeachment prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said Punay had already exposed weaknesses in her testimony even before facing cross-examination.
“Ang malala, hindi pa siya nagko-cross, nagkalat na,” Chua said.
House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong questioned the defense’s decision to present Punay to challenge forensic accounting expert Alexander Cabrera.
“At obvious naman, gusto nilang ibangga ito, itapat nila kay Atty. Cabrera. Baka wala ho silang makitang expert. So ito na lang ’yung kanilang ipinresenta,” said Alonto Adiong, chair of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.
He argued that Punay lacked the expertise and firsthand knowledge needed to dispute Cabrera’s findings.
“Hindi ho siya ’yung corporate secretary. She was not even involved in the preparation of the stocks. She is not even involved in the financial dealings of these companies,” Alonto Adiong said.
Punay disputed Cabrera’s estimate that Duterte had a 20% interest in GenCorp, maintaining that the vice president held no formal shares in the company.
However, she acknowledged that Duterte received P2.14 million from GenCorp between 2022 and 2025, during her term as vice president, through what she described as a “loose investment” in its Jollibee Times Square branch in Davao City.
Under questioning by Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Punay admitted that she could not verify the original investment amount or provide written records explaining it.
Alonto Adiong said the admission about Duterte’s payments came directly from the defense’s own witness.
“Hindi po nanggagaling sa prosecution ’yung admission na si Vice President ay eksaktong tumanggap ng kanyang monthly from GenCorp. Galing po ’yan sa kanilang testigo, ah,” he said.
Cabrera earlier attributed P212.63 million in alleged undeclared income from GenCorp to Duterte between 2023 and 2025.
The amount formed part of his findings of at least P817.87 million in alleged undeclared assets and unexplained wealth.
The Senate impeachment court is hearing the defense’s evidence under Article II, the remaining impeachment charge involving alleged unexplained wealth.
metrosundaily
