Palace on Sara Duterte corporate ties: No one is above the law

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday maintained that no one is above the law amid questions over Vice President Sara Duterte’s business interests.

The Palace’s remarks came after Securities and Exchange Commission records showed that Duterte remained a director and shareholder of a private company after assuming office in 2022.

READ: SEC records: Sara Duterte stayed company director after becoming VP

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Palace press officer Claire Castro said whatever is provided under the law should be followed and enforced, stressing that no one should be above the law.

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“So, hindi po dapat pinapairal iyong salitang impunity. So, kung ano lang po iyong sa batas dapat tuparin,” she said at a briefing.

(So, the concept of impunity should not be allowed to prevail. Whatever the law requires must be complied with.)

Asked why no one appeared to have advised Duterte to divest from the businesses, given that she and her husband, Manases Carpio, are both lawyers and that she has legal experts around her, Castro declined to comment.

“Hindi na po kami magkukomento diyan, si VP Sara naman ay malaki na at hindi na dapat binibigyan ng anumang advice, alam niya na po ang kanyang ginagawa,” Castro said.

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(We will no longer comment on that. Vice President Sara is already an adult and should no longer need to be given any advice. She knows what she is doing.)

During Monday’s impeachment trial, Securities and Exchange Commission Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo del Rosario testified that Duterte held a 20% stake in Metro City Chow Foods Corp. from 2016 to 2025.

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Duterte was listed as one of the company’s incorporators when it was established in 2016 and served on its board from 2018 to 2025. /mr