MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte could possibly be tagged as another hostile witness in the impeachment trial of his sister Vice President Sara Duterte.
The Senate impeachment court issued a subpoena for Duterte and two other individuals to appear on September 23 as the House prosecution team continues its presentation on Article II of the trial which tackles the vice president’s alleged unexplained wealth.
“We want to know here if in his capacity as mayor of Davao, there were any dealing with this company the city of Davao,” private prosecutor and spokesman Atty. Bejamin Tolosa said in Filipino in a post-trial press conference on Wednesday. The lawyer was referring to Gencorp, one of the supposed business interests of Sara.
Sara was already sitting as vice president when Gencorp secured millions worth of contracts in Davao City, where his brother is mayor, between 2022 and 2025.
“As for the details, let’s see when he’s called into the stand. Obviously, Mayor Baste may become a hostile witness,” Tolosa said.
“If it will be shown that his interests are adverse to that of the prosecution, because we were the party who called him as witness, then the court will qualify him as a hostile witness,” he added.
The younger Duterte also has no choice but to appear on the witness stand as it is already a “compulsory process” once the subpoena has been issued.
“He will have to respect it and appear before the court. As to whether or now he will be a hostile witness, that would depend if the court will qualify him as an expert witness,” Tolosa said.
