THE prosecution panel of the House of Representatives on Thursday said the subpoena on Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte would zero in on city hall transactions involving Gencorp Industries Inc., a company linked to Vice President Sara Duterte.
Prosecution spokesman and Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the records remain in city hall’s custody and could be examined alongside the vice president’s declared business interests as part of their case involving her alleged unexplained wealth.
“We really see a direct business interest,” Adiong said in Filipino in a press conference, pointing to supply transactions discussed during the presentation of Sara Duterte’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
He said some supply contracts were won by a business partly owned by the vice president, although the transactions went through regular competitive bidding.
“Because that was a transaction — a public transaction. It went through the regular competitive bidding process. So, apparently, the winner for those portions of supplies — or food, in this case — was a business co-owned by Vice President Sara Duterte,” the congressman said.
The Senate impeachment court on Sept. 16 issued the subpoena for the younger Duterte for the prosecution’s presentation under Article II and covers transactions with Gencorp, and requires city records and contracts from 2020 onward involving entities that own or operate a Jollibee branch or establishment.
He was initially ordered to appear on Sept. 23. Presiding Officer Francis Escudero said the court would assess the prosecution’s progress on Sept. 22 and could withdraw and reissue the subpoena if earlier witnesses had not completed their testimony.
Another member of the panel, private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa, earlier said the mayor could possibly be tagged as a hostile witness in the impeachment proceedings.
“We want to know here if in his capacity as mayor of Davao, there were any dealings with this company,” he said on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
“As for the details, let’s see when he’s called into the stand. Obviously, Mayor Baste may become a hostile witness,” he said, referring to the younger Duterte by his nickname.
“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.
Flood control projects
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has flagged 47 flood control projects in the congressional district of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, the vice president’s older brother, for further scrutiny, with 51 individuals from three construction firms and government agencies set to receive subpoenas.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said six of the 47 projects showed what investigators considered clear problems, including alleged ghost and substandard projects, based on documents obtained from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The NBI’s disclosure sharply expands its investigation into flood control projects in Duterte’s district, where about P1.9 billion worth of contracts were awarded to Genesis88 Construction Inc. Matibag earlier said the agency was examining why a single contractor secured the projects in the specific congressional district.
The bureau is preparing subpoenas for 51 individuals connected to three construction companies, including Genesis88.
Also to be subpoenaed are officials from Agong Construction, Gemma Construction, the DPWH regional office and the Commission on Audit, Matibag said.
