VICE President Sara Z. Duterte’s declared business interests and alleged government transactions involving companies linked to her will come under closer scrutiny this week as House prosecutors turn to corporate and procurement records in presenting evidence on her alleged unexplained wealth under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.
Officials from the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) are lined up as the next witnesses when the Senate impeachment court resumes trial Monday.
The prosecution is moving beyond Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), which were presented last week through the Office of the Ombudsman, to independent corporate and government records.
House lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro identified CSC Assistant Commissioner Ariel Ronquillo, SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo del Rosario and PhilGEPS Division Chief Rendell Sopeña as the next witnesses.
“We will be presenting first Attorney Ariel G. Ronquillo of the Civil Service Commission, followed by Attorney Gerardo F. del Rosario of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and finally, Your Honor, Mr. Rendell P. Sopeña of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System Office of the DBM,” Luistro said.
Ronquillo is expected to testify on the rules governing the preparation and filing of SALNs, including guidelines he helped draft.
Del Rosario is expected to authenticate SEC records involving companies in which Duterte declared business interests.
His testimony was deferred last week because of the volume of corporate records involved.
The SEC records will build on the testimony of Atty. Karen Batu, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division.
Batu authenticated Duterte’s SALNs and went through the business interests and financial connections she declared during her years in public office.
She testified that Duterte continued listing several business interests after becoming Vice President in 2022.
Batu also testified that several of Duterte’s SALNs listed business interests or financial connections without corresponding declarations of shares of stock or acquisition costs.
Prosecutors intend to use the corporate records to examine the nature and extent of those interests.
Article II alleges, among others, that Duterte failed to divest and continued participating in businesses while serving as Vice President.
Sopeña, meanwhile, is expected to testify on government procurement records involving entities in which Duterte reportedly declared an interest.
He has been directed to produce records of contracts between Gencorp Industries Inc. and government agencies from 2020 to the present.
Gencorp is among the companies in which Duterte allegedly declared a financial interest.
The prosecution’s examination of Gencorp is also expected to bring Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, the Vice President’s brother, to the witness stand.
Baste has been subpoenaed to testify and produce records involving transactions between the Davao City government and Gencorp, as well as entities owning or operating a Jollibee branch or establishment, from 2020 to the present.
Also subpoenaed are lawyer Gary Samonte, who is expected to testify on records from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Regional Office XI, and Police Major Jerrickson Sangalang of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office.
Sangalang is expected to testify on firearms registered under Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
The witness schedule, however, could change because Wednesday, Sept. 23, has been set aside for another major issue before the Impeachment Court.
The prosecution and defense are scheduled to present oral arguments on the disputed number of votes required to convict Duterte.
The issue arose after Sen. Erwin Tulfo challenged Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s earlier ruling that conviction requires 16 votes, or two-thirds of the Senate’s full 24-member composition.
The Impeachment Court last week sought the views of retired Chief Justices Artemio Panganiban and Reynato Puno and retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna as amici curiae, or friends of the court.
Retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. submitted a written memorandum.
The former magistrates differed on whether “two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate” invariably requires 16 votes or whether senators who cannot legally or otherwise participate may be excluded from the denominator.
The senator-judges are expected to act on the threshold dispute after hearing the prosecution and defense Wednesday.
The proceedings could push back some prosecution witnesses.
The Impeachment Court initially directed Baste, Samonte and Sangalang to appear Sept. 23, but indicated their subpoenas could be withdrawn and reissued depending on how the earlier witnesses and threshold proceedings unfold.
Wednesday is also the deadline for Duterte’s defense to respond to 104 prosecution requests for admission involving bank records and account ownership.
The requests seek to authenticate financial records and establish account ownership without requiring individual testimony for every document.
Prosecutors have said sufficient admissions could dispense with as many as 15 bank witnesses.
Those records will eventually form part of the broader financial trail prosecutors intend to compare with Duterte’s declared assets, legitimate income and business interests.
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