Baste Duterte urged to summon chief of staff, probe into GenCorp deals

MANILA, Philippines — Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday told Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to personally look into his own chief-of-staff, as well as the local government’s deals with GenCorp Industries Inc., which is said to be linked to his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte.

This is after the Davao City mayor admitted during the 31st day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial that he only learned of GenCorp when it was mentioned before the court.

READ: Baste Duterte: If I knew Sara was in Gencorp, I would not deal with it

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“Siguro, suggestion ko lang, manifestation ko lang—pagbalik niyo ng Davao kailangan niyo patawag ang inyong chief of staff,” Tulfo told Mayor Duterte during the period of clarificatory questions.

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(Perhaps—this is just a suggestion or a thought of mine—when you return to Davao City, you need to summon your chief of staff.)

“Dahil sa kaniyang kakulangan sa kaalaman at pag iimbestiga ay sasabit po kayo. Mas maganda siguro paimbestigahan ninyo,” he added.

(You could get implicated due to his lack of knowledge and failure to investigate properly. It would probably be better to have it investigated.)

In response, Mayor Duterte said: “That would be appropriate.”

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He then clarified that he would only do so if it was proven that there was a “breach in law.”

Asked by Tulfo if he sees the matter as, in fact, a breach, the mayor responded: “I do not know. This court has to decide.”

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Tulfo then further pressed him on whether he has plans to look into the matter himself as the chief local executive, but the mayor maintained that it would depend on the findings of the impeachment court.

“As long as my sister’s name, the vice president’s name, is not on the contract then there’s nothing,” he said. /gsg