The House prosecution panel placed Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte on the witness stand to testify regarding P34.2 million in municipal government contracts awarded to GenCorp Industries Inc., a company Vice President Sara Z. Duterte declared as a business interest in her official disclosures.
During the proceedings before the Senate Impeachment Court, private prosecutor Atty. Theodore T. Te stated that the prosecution would move to classify Mayor Duterte as a hostile witness while examining his knowledge of GenCorp and the catering and food service contracts awarded by Davao City from 2022 to 2025.
“The testimony of the witness, Mayor Sebastian Zimmerman Duterte, is offered to prove the following matters: First, that he is a hostile witness, as defined and subject to the necessary foundation to be laid by the prosecution for the Honorable Impeachment Court to make such a declaration,” Te told the court.
Te questioned Mayor Duterte regarding the 15 contracts awarded to GenCorp, which carry a total value of P34,216,900. He emphasized that the prosecution intends to establish that Mayor Duterte, in his capacity as Davao City’s Head of the Procuring Entity (HOPE), held final authority and accountability over the approval of those awards.
The prosecution also indicated plans to question the mayor regarding Jaime T. Cruz, identified as a major GenCorp stockholder who also shares business holdings with Mayor Duterte in another corporate entity.
The testimony forms a central component of the prosecution’s case under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which addresses allegations of unexplained wealth, financial disclosures, and undisclosed business holdings involving Vice President Sara Duterte.
While Vice President Duterte listed GenCorp as a business interest in her 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), corporate registration filings previously submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) did not explicitly list her as an incorporator, director, or shareholder.
Mayor Duterte previously acknowledged in a public statement that Davao City entered into transactions with GenCorp totaling over P33.2 million across 19 contracts, but maintained that local officials were unaware of his sister’s declared financial interest in the firm. Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) Division Chief Rendell Sopeña later verified that portal records list 15 Davao City awards totaling P34,216,900.
Complying with the Senate court’s subpoena, Mayor Duterte brought subpoenaed documents to the chamber, leading Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero to direct the Clerk of Court to replicate the filings for all parties.
“The documents seem to be voluminous, about a hundred pages, counsel,” Escudero noted during the session.
Defense counsel Atty. Justin Nicol Gular objected to the mayor’s appearance, arguing that his testimony lacked legal relevance to the current charges against the Vice President.
“The defense would like to put on record that the testimony of the witness is irrelevant,” Gular argued, pointing out that prior evidence established the Davao City contracts occurred after Vice President Duterte had concluded her term as city mayor.
The defense also declined an invitation from Escudero to stipulate that Mayor Duterte acted as Davao City’s HOPE, requiring prosecutors to establish the matter on the record.
Following the formal objections, Mayor Duterte took his oath before the impeachment panel, affirming his commitment to provide truthful testimony. Declaring a witness hostile grants prosecutors greater procedural latitude to conduct cross-examination-style questioning against an adverse party.