VP-Linked Firms Had Deals With Davao Government – Witness

Vice President Sara Duterte secured 49 government contracts worth around P35 million while serving as the second highest official of the country, the bulk of which was with the local government of Davao City where her brother Sebastian is mayor, a prosecution witness testified on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The Senate impeachment court served subpoenas to the mayor on Tuesday, ordering him to appear before senator-judges on Sept. 28, 29 and 30, court spokesman Reginald Tongol confirmed.

During day 28 of the impeachment trial, Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) Electronic Government Procurement Operations Division (EGDOP) chief Rendell Sopeña said two national government offices and one local government awarded contracts to GenCorp Industries, one of the firms where Vice President Duterte’s name was listed in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

These are the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in Region 11 or the Davao Region, which awarded 33 contracts worth P1.3 million; the Davao City government, which awarded 15 worth P34.2 million and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Region XI, which awarded one contract worth P330,000.

Sopeña said the PhilGEPS records covered awards dated from July 21, 2022 through June 23, 2026. The prosecution presented PhilGEPS procurement records to establish government transactions involving GenCorp Industries.

Lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro moved to connect the procurement records to Duterte’s own wealth declarations and the prosecution’s allegation that she failed to divest herself of business and financial interests.

Luistro then invoked Article 7, Section 13 of the Constitution, which prohibits the President, Vice President and other specified executive officials from participating in any business or being financially interested in any government contract during their tenure.

Luistro also asked the court to take judicial notice of provisions of Republic Act No. 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act, concerning the head of the procuring entity (HoPE).

Under RA 12009, the local chief executive is the HoPE for a local government unit.

Luistro then asked the court to take judicial notice that Mayor Duterte is the city’s local chief executive and HoPE.

The prosecution earlier said they intend to question the mayor about GenCorp and its transactions with the Davao City government and would seek to have him treated as a hostile witness.

Fastfood chains

The Vice President and her husband Manases Carpio also had substantial interests in two of the country’s food giants – sister companies Jollibee and Chowking, the House prosecution panel revealed on Tuesday.

Private prosecutor Erwin Matib confirmed the query of Sen. Francis Pangilinan that the Duterte couple held “franchises” with the two companies, and recorded about P2.159 billion in combined sales.

“So, I would assume that based on these names (Chow Foods, Jolly Times, Timesquare Bee Foods etc.) there are many franchises in Jollibee and Chowking that have now raked in billions of their sales over a period of time,” Pangilinan asked, to which Matib affirmed.

Pangilinan questioned SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department director Gerardo del Rosario about the financial summary he prepared from records submitted by Duterte’s companies.

He also reviewed the details and figures for City Hall King Chow Foods Corp., Metro City Chow Foods Corp., Great Jolly Times Food Corp. and Timesquare Bee Foods Corp.

However, the periods were not uniform, as some began in 2007, while others started later and extended through 2024 or 2025.

The figures stated during the exchange included approximately P310.11 million for City Hall King Chow, P309 million for Metro City Chow and about P209 million for Great Jolly Times. For Timesquare Bee Foods, Del Rosario read P335,087,332 from his summary.

Pangilinan then placed the four companies’ combined sales at approximately P1.15 billion. He likewise added GenCorp, whose summary reflected sales of about P1.04 billion.

The P2.159-billion figure was the total Pangilinan placed on the record and which Del Rosario expressly confirmed. The companies also covered different reporting periods.

Inconsistencies

Duterte’s declaration in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) that she is an incorporator and shareholder of several businesses contradicts SEC records where her name is completely absent, Del Rosario said.

The SEC official testified that while Duterte declared shareholdings in companies such as GenCorp, Great Jolly Times Food Corp. and Times Square Bee Foods Corp., corporate filings show no record of her involvement.

Presiding officer Francis Escudero confronted Del Rosario with copies of Duterte’s 2024 and 2025 SALNs, pointing out that she identified herself as an incorporator and stockholder of Great Jolly Times and Times Square Bee.

“For Great Jolly Times, her name does not appear here. For Times Square, her name also does not appear as an incorporator or shareholder,” Del Rosario said, confirming her name does not appear from their incorporation up to their 2023 General Information Sheet.

A GIS is annually filed before the SEC to inform the regulator whether or not there has been a change in leadership of the company.

Malacañang maintained that the rule of law should prevail.

“We will no longer comment on that. VP Sara is a grownup and should not be given advice. She knows what she is doing,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Tuesday.

Envoy to China

Likewise, the Senate impeachment court was able to confirm yesterday, through Del Rosario, that Jaime T. Cruz, the country’s envoy to China during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s term, was the Vice President’s business partner.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo asked Del Rosario about Cruz’s history with the Duterte family, and was able to confirm that Cruz was named in the corporate papers of the Duterte-linked firms Metro City Chow Foods Corp. (formerly City Hall King Chow Foods Corp.), Davao New Royal Taipan Corp. (formerly Davao Emerging Taipans Corp.) and Davao Bounty Times Food Corp. – With Delon Porcalla, Neil Jayson Servallos, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Daphne Galvez, Alexis Romero, Ghio Ong