Impeach court calls for ‘Baste’
Vice President Sara Duterte’s brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, has been summoned by the Senate impeachment court as a witness sought by the prosecution concerning her alleged unexplained wealth.
The court’s presiding officer, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, issued on Wednesday a subpoena for the younger Duterte to appear on Sept. 23 to be questioned regarding Article 2 of the impeachment complaint.
The mayor is expected to be asked about transactions entered into by the Davao City government with Gencorp Industries, a company listed among his sister’s declared business interests.
The court also ordered him to produce official records and contracts from 2020 to the present between City Hall and entities that own or operate a branch of the fast food chain Jollibee.
“He is being called because he may have relevant personal and official knowledge concerning matters that form part of the prosecution’s Article 2 presentation,” Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson for the House prosecution team, said in a briefing.
Ties to Gencorp
Gencorp cropped up in the impeachment complaints against the Vice President after Duterte declared having an interest in the company in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.
Mayor Duterte’s inclusion as a prosecution witness stemmed from reports that Gencorp allegedly secured food catering contracts worth millions of pesos with the Davao City government during his tenure.
According to the reports, Gencorp entered into transactions worth P14.32 million with the city government from 2022 to 2025.
Cabotaje-Tang on Monday told the impeachment court that the President and Vice President are constitutionally barred from directly or indirectly participating in any business while in office.
She also testified that unexplained wealth acquired by a public official may become grounds for removal or dismissal under existing anti-corruption laws.
Undisclosed wealth
Prosecutors said her testimony would help the court and the public understand the financial, bank and government records that the prosecution would present.
On the other hand, Batu on Tuesday presented Duterte’s SALNs, which showed a 13.6-fold jump in her declared net worth from the time she entered government as Davao City vice mayor in 2007 to 2025.
Her declared net worth rose from P7.2 million in 2007 to P18.4 million in 2008, a roughly 155-percent increase. By 2025, her declared net worth had reached P98.6 million.
The prosecution is using the SALNs to support allegations that Duterte failed to fully and truthfully disclose her and her husband Manases Carpio’s assets, liabilities and net worth.
The court also issued a subpoena for Civil Service Commission Assistant Commissioner Ariel Ronquillo, Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) Division Chief Rendell Sopeña, lawyer Gary Samonte and Police Maj. Jerrickson Sangalang.
A subpoena for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official Gerardo del Rosario had already been issued and no longer needed to be renewed. —WITH A REPORT FROM PNA
