Sara Duterte’s business interests, gov’t deals face scrutiny

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared business interests and alleged government transactions involving companies linked to her will come under closer scrutiny this week as House of Representatives prosecutors turn to corporate and procurement records as evidence on her alleged unexplained wealth under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.

Civil Service Commission Assistant Commissioner Ariel Ronquillo, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo del Rosario, and Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System division chief Rendell Sopeña are lined up as the next witnesses when the Senate impeachment court resumes trial Monday.

Last week, the prosecution presented Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), through the Office of the Ombudsman.

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House lead prosecutor Batangas 2^nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro said in a news release Sunday that Ronquillo is expected to testify on the rules governing the preparation and filing of SALNs, including guidelines he helped draft.

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READ: Prosecutors trace Sara Duterte’s ₱98.6-M wealth, may call VP to testify

Del Rosario will 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 lawyer Karen Batu, Officer-in-Charge of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division.

She authenticated Duterte’s SALNs and testified that the Vice President continued listing several business interests after her election in 2022.

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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.

The examination of Gencorp is expected to bring Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, the Vice President’s younger brother, to the witness stand.

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Mayor Duterte has been subpoenaed, along with lawyer Gary Samonte, who is expected to testify on records from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.-Davao Region, and Maj. Jerrickson Sangalang of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office on firearms registered under Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

The witness schedule could change because Sept. 23 has been set aside for oral arguments on the disputed number of votes required to convict Duterte.

The issue arose after Senator Erwin Tulfo challenged Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero’s earlier ruling that conviction requires 16 votes, or two-thirds of the Senate’s full 24-member composition.

READ: Senate has ‘sole power’ to decide VP Duterte impeachment case – amici curiae

The impeachment court last week sought the views of retired Supreme Court chief justices Artemio Panganiban and Reynato Puno and retired associate justice Adolfo Azcuna.

Retired chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. submitted a written memorandum.

Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima will represent the prosecution during the oral arguments, fellow prosecutor Chel Diokno of Akbayan Party-list said Sunday.

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“Well, unang una, sa tingin po namin ay itong bagay na ito ay talagang nasa kamay ng Senate bilang impeachment court at kung ano man ang magiging pagpasya nila sa isyu na ito ay syempre irerespeto po natin ‘yan (Well primarily, we see this matter is really in the hands of the Senate as impeachment court and whatever decision they would have in this issue, of course we will respect that),” Diokno said.