Baste Duterte: 19 contracts granted by Davao to GenCorp 'not too many'

Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte said Tuesday that the 19 government contracts that the Davao City government granted to GenCorp. Industries Inc., a declared asset of his sister and Vice President Duterte, are "not too many."

The mayor, brother of Vice President Sara Duterte, made the testimony during Day 31 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

“19 [contracts] in a span of five years…I don’t think, hindi ganun karami, in the total volume,” the mayor said in his testimony during Day 31 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President after being asked by Senator judge Sherwin Gatchalian.

(That’s not too many.)

The Vice President declared GenCorp. Industries Inc. as one of her business interests in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) in 2024 and 2025.

'Most qualified'

Baste Duterte also reiterated on Tuesday that he is unaware of his sister's investment in GenCorp.

“We do not discuss this [topic on her businesses],” the mayor said when asked by private prosecutor Theodore Te.

Gatchalian also quizzed the mayor if he was ever puzzled as to why GenCorp. kept on winning contracts with the Davao City government when there are so many caterers available, but Baste Duterte maintained everything was above board.

“He is behind me, and his answer was simply because they (GenCorp.) were the most qualified and they complied with all the requirements,” the mayor said, referring to Atty. Dwight Domingo who is the Davao City government’s Assistant City Administrator.

During the same proceeding, Baste Duterte confirmed that GenCorp. won a ₱8.4 million Davao City contract covering 60,000 servings of fried chicken, rice and bottled water without any competing bidder.

READ: Who is Sebastian 'Baste' Duterte?

The Davao mayor, during questioning of private prosecutor Te, testified that the P8.4 million contract was a procurement for food and catering services requested by the City Mayor’s Office.

Asked by Gatchalian if he is aware of other companies whom GenCorp. beat in public and negotiated biddings for Davao City government contracts, Baste Duterte replied said he wasn’t aware of the profile of these companies while maintaining GenCorp. won the contracts fair and square.

“Hindi ko tinignan. Tinanong ko lang naman [si Atty. Domingo] kung tama ba yung proseso na pinagdaanan, May problema ba, may binaypas na law or whatever na process. Sinabi niya naman wala. Qualified naman and all under the law. That’s it,” the mayor added.

(I didn’t take a look at it. I just asked him if the process was allowed, if there was a problem, if a law was bypassed or any process was bypassed. I was told there was one, and that it is qualified, and the process [how it got the contract are] all under the law.)

'Not allowed'

In a separate press conference, the House prosecution panel said that it was never the number of contracts, but the supposed conflict of interest since the Vice President is a declared shareholder of the GenCorp. during the years that it got contracts from the Davao City government led by her brother.

“The issue here is the connection of the Vice President to GenCorp. Whether it is one, two, three, 19 contracts won by GenCorp., it is clear that such involvement to GenCorp by the Vice President is not allowed under the Constitution,” House prosecutor Joel Chua of Manila said.

Chua was referring to Article 7, Section 13 of the Constitution which states that “The President, Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, and their deputies or assistants shall not, during said tenure, directly or indirectly, practice any other profession, participate in any business, or be financially interested in any contract with, or in any franchise, or special privilege granted by the government or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries. —VAL, GMA News

Follow Facebook.com/gmanewsonline for real-time news and developments in the Philippines and around the world.