Did Baste Duterte Throw Sister Under The Bus?
“He lifted himself as a mayor, but in a way, he threw his sister under the bus when he said that had he known that (she) had interest in GenCorp (Industries Inc.), he would not have allowed it,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s claim that he was not aware he was transacting with a firm connected to Vice President Sara Duterte, his sister, sets a “dangerous” precedent for other local executives, Malacañang said on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the doctrine established by the ruling on Arias versus Sandiganbayan may be invoked but not frequently, to cover up for one’s weakness or the anomalies of an ally or a sibling.
The SC said the Arias doctrine states that all heads of offices have to rely to a reasonable extent on their subordinates and on the good faith of those who prepare bids, purchase supplies or enter into negotiations.
There has to be some added reason why the head of office should examine each of the documents he is supposed to sign, the high court noted.
“We are just basing it on what we heard and what he (Sebastian) knows and what he mentioned in the hearing (on Sept. 29), on how long he has been a mayor and how come he does not look at the contracts he is signing,” Castro said.
“It will be dangerous if used by other mayors to claim that they do not know that they are transacting with a sibling,” she added.
Thrown under the bus?
Castro clarified that she is not passing judgment on the mayor, who claimed during his testimony as a hostile witness on Tuesday, Sept. 29, that he was not aware of the Vice President’s connection to GenCorp Industries Inc.
The Davao City government awarded 19 contracts to GenCorp.
“He (Sebastian) showed that he did not know anything and it seemed that he did not care. But when Sen. (Panfilo) Lacson mentioned the Arias v Sandiganbayan, it seemed that he defended himself as a mayor,” Castro said.
“He (Sebastian) lifted himself as a mayor, but in a way, he threw his sister under the bus when he said that had he known that (she) had interest in GenCorp, he would not have allowed it. But this is not a judgment. We are just basing it on what he heard from his narrative. But still, again, we should not judge Mayor Baste Duterte based on his own statements.”
