Malacañang rebuked Davao City Mayor Sebastian ”Baste” Duterte after he claimed to have no knowledge of his sister Vice President Sara Duterte’s business ties to GenCorp Industries Inc., a company that secured tens of millions of pesos in local government contracts while he served as the city’s chief executive.
The Palace’s reaction followed the mayor’s testimony before the Senate impeachment court, where he was declared a hostile witness after asserting that he was unaware of the Vice President’s ownership stake in the catering firm despite approving city procurement transactions.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized that local chief executives carry administrative oversight over city procurement and cannot simply hide behind claims of ignorance when questionable transactions involve family members.
”If Mayor Baste Duterte has any liability, we are not the ones who should judge that. Perhaps it is the people who should decide, because a leader should not be allowed to remain in a position of authority while constantly claiming to have no knowledge or no concern,” Castro said during a press briefing.
Addressing the complexity of sibling dynamics in high-stakes legal proceedings, Castro noted the difficulty of verifying claims made under oath.
”Some siblings may tell the truth, while others may lie to cover up for and defend their own sibling. There are also siblings who may lie to discredit their own sibling,” Castro explained. ”So in such circumstances, we cannot really say because it is what is in a person’s heart and mind that determines whether they are lying or not.”
However, Castro stressed that holding public office mandates proactive diligence rather than passive detachment.
”But a mayor, or any leader or official, when you have authority over an agency or an organization, even over areas or entire countries, you cannot simply say that you had no knowledge, that you did not look into it, or that you did not care,” she added.
Government procurement records presented during the impeachment trial revealed that GenCorp won 15 contracts worth P34.2 million with the Davao City government between 2022 and 2026, during Baste’s tenure as mayor. While the mayor maintained that all awarded city contracts were above board and executed in compliance with public bidding regulations, House prosecutors contend that the deals represent an undisclosed conflict of interest linked to the Vice President’s financial declarations.