Sara Duterte denies owning fast food chain franchise amid GenCorp link

MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday denied that she owns a Jollibee franchise amid her links to food company GenCorp Industries Inc., stressing that her investment in the company does not equate to ownership.

“I do not own a Jollibee franchise or any other franchise. I previously invested in a company that is part of a legitimate business organization owned and operated by individuals with an established reputation for integrity and good standing,” she said in a statement.

Duterte made the statement following a media report about the Jollibee branches allegedly owned by GenCorp, which was earlier disclosed by a witness during the Senate impeachment trial.

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Financial forensic analyst and lawyer Alexander Cabrera previously testified that a possible reason why Duterte included Gencorp in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth was because it has several branches of local fast food company Jollibee.

Addressing the concerned media outlet, Duterte explained that “investing in a company does not automatically equate to owning the company itself, much less owning, managing or operating its individual businesses or franchises.”

She described the media report as “part of a series of disinformation campaigns” and said that it raises “serious concerns about its journalistic standards, accuracy, and commitment to the fundamental principles of responsible journalism.”

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Duterte noted that the continued attacks against her were “deeply troubling,” and also expressed concern over the “apparent targeting of legitimate businesses” that causes “unwarranted reputational and commercial damage.”

“Accurate reporting requires factual verification, a proper understanding of business ownership, and adherence to the basic principles of responsible journalism,” she said. /gsg