Baste set to appear this week at impeachment court

MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV are slated to take the witness stand before the Senate impeachment court this week, as prosecutors drill down on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten wealth. 

The Vice President’s younger brother is scheduled to appear before the impeachment court either today or tomorrow, while Trillanes, the Duterte family’s arch critic, may take the witness stand anytime between today and Wednesday. 

The Davao City mayor will be a hostile witness as he will be forced to testify regarding the declared interests of the Vice President, whose listed businesses included those in the city, which obtained 49 local contracts worth about P35 million. 

Trillanes, for his part, is expected to reveal before the impeachment court details of the alleged sources of the reported total P6.7 billion wealth of the Duterte couple.

Ronel Buenaventura, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, who already appeared before the House committee on justice and confirmed the Duterte spouses’ P6.7 billion total recorded assets, is expected to be called either on Oct. 1 or Oct. 2. 

As the Senate impeachment court resumes its hearing today, the prosecution is expected to first complete the testimony of Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) division chief Rendell Sopeña.

Last week, Sopeña testified on government contracts awarded to GenCorp Industries Inc., a company where the Vice President has declared business interests in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

PhilGEPS records showed 49 contracts worth a combined P35.878 million awarded to GenCorp during Duterte’s vice presidency, including 15 Davao City contracts worth P34.217 million, 33 Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Region 11 contracts worth P1.331 million and one Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Region 11 contract worth P330,000.

The contracts are also central to the prosecution’s allegation under Article II (unexplained wealth) that Duterte failed to divest herself of her business and financial interests after assuming the vice presidency in June 2022.

Gary Samonte of PhilHealth Region 11 bids and awards committee secretariat and Maj. Joe Rickson Sanggalang, records division chief of the Philippine National Police’s Firearms and Explosives Office are also expected to be called.

Lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro pointed out during Sopeña’s testimony that Article VII, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution prohibits the Vice President from directly or indirectly participating in any business, or being financially interested in any government contract during her tenure.

“The admission came from no less than the respondent herself,” Luistro said, referring to Duterte’s declaration of GenCorp as a business interest in her SALNs.

“Please be reminded that the last subsection of Article II of the Articles of Impeachment on unexplained wealth is non-divestment of other business and financial interests,” Luistro, chairperson of the House committee on justice, added.