Impeachment court lets Duterte-linked firms’ counsel testify for defense

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Impeachment Court on Wednesday allowed corporate counsel Suzette Balucanag-Punay to testify for the defense despite the prosecution’s challenge to her authority to represent two companies linked to Vice President Sara Duterte.

Balucanag-Punay, the in-house counsel of GenCorp Industries Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corp., was presented by defense counsel Justin Nicol Gular on Day 42 of the impeachment proceedings as the defense’s fourth witness.

After Gular’s offer of testimony, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan questioned whether Balucanag-Punay had been authorized through board resolutions or secretaries’ certificates from both companies to testify and identify corporate documents before the tribunal.

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Kapunan pointed out that Balucanag-Punay’s name did not appear in the companies’ general information sheets, financial statements or articles of incorporation.

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She asked the defense to present a board resolution specifically authorizing the lawyer to represent both corporations and testify on their behalf.

Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero inquired why Kapunan wanted a board resolution.

READ: Sara Duterte impeachment defense presents witnesses to counter case

According to Kapunan, “The board resolution is important because… we do not want at some point in time that she will call to the attention of the Honorable presiding officer the… or hide behind the attorney-client privilege.”

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Gular countered that Balucanag-Punay appeared before the tribunal pursuant to a subpoena.

“If the concerns of the good counsel from the prosecution are to hide behind supposedly the veil of attorney-client privilege, it is number one a premature objection; number two, it is not an objection that she is entitled to raise and only the corporate clients can raise that; and number three, Your Honor, the witness will be under oath in respect to her answers, Your Honor,” he added.

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Escudero said the tribunal would presume that Balucanag-Punay’s appearance was duly authorized, given her position as in-house counsel of the two corporations.

“The court will in the meantime allow the testimony of Atty. Punay on her oath as a lawyer, upon which she owes candor and fidelity not only to the regular courts but to this court as well,” the presiding officer said.

“And although corporations cannot act on their own, we as of yet do not know if, based on the testimony, she will be testifying on behalf of the corporation or only about the corporation,” Escudero added.

READ: VP trial Day 42: GenCorp, Metro Chow counsel to take witness stand

The court also presumed that the witness had waived attorney-client privilege concerning matters involving the corporations’ affairs.

Escudero reminded Balucanag-Punay that she could not selectively invoke attorney-client privilege when answering questions concerning the two corporate clients.

Meanwhile, Senator-Judge Francis Pangilinan sought clarification on the matter, citing a previous instance involving defense counsel and spokesperson Michael Poa. The prosecution had declared Poa a hostile witness, and he declined to answer questions from senator-judges by invoking attorney-client privilege.

Pangilinan said establishing that the companies had waived attorney-client privilege would speed up the proceedings.

Escudero reiterated that the tribunal was presuming the corporations had waived the privilege and that the witness could not invoke it selectively in matters concerning the companies.

Balucanag-Punay confirmed that she understood the court’s instructions before proceeding with her direct examination.

READ: Live updates: Sara Duterte impeachment trial, Nov. 11, 2026

The defense presented Balucanag-Punay to testify on the corporate status and operations of GenCorp and Metro City Chow Foods, as well as to dispute allegations concerning Duterte’s stake in the companies.

Based on Gular’s offer of testimony, the defense further intends to establish that Duterte exercises no control over or supervisory role in GenCorp’s management and operations.

As for Metro City Chow Foods, the defense acknowledged that Duterte is listed as a stockholder, director and member of its Compensation Committee but intends to show that she does not perform the functions and responsibilities attached to these positions and exercises no control over the corporation’s operations.

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Duterte is accused of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for allegedly amassing unexplained wealth, failing to accurately disclose her assets, liabilities and net worth in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, and failing to divest her business interests during her tenure as vice president. /mcm