Prosecution: Baste Duterte's statement on GenCorp 'a confession of sins'

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The House prosecution panel said Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s statement that the Davao City government inked P33 million worth of contracts with Gencorp. Industries Inc. is a confession.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan was referring to Mayor Duterte’s statement that the Davao City government's transactions with GenCorp. reached over P33.2 million across 19 contracts, that these are all above board, and that himself and the rest of Davao city government officials “never had any knowledge of Vice President Sara Duterte holding an interest in “Gencorp. Industries Inc.”

Vice President Sara Duterte, who is facing an impeachment trial, declared GenCorp. Industries Inc. as one of her business interests in her 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

The Vice President’s name, however, is not found on GenCorp.’s corporate records submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as testified by SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo del Rosario.

“In fact, para maintindihan ng publiko, confession ‘yan. Parang free spirited,” Kapunan told reporters during Day 28 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

(For the public to understand, that is a confession. It was free-spirited.)

“What do you do when you confess to the priest? You admit to your sins, right? This is not only an admission. This is also a confession,” Kapunan added.

The Senate impeachment court has issued an order for Mayor Duterte to testify before the impeachment trial of his sister, Vice President Duterte, due to their links to GenCorp.

This court order was issued on the request of the prosecution.

Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr., for his part, said Mayor Duterte’s statement is welcome but maintained he should still face the impeachment court for his remarks to be entered into the records of the Senate impeachment trial proceedings.

“GenCorp. is in the SALN of the Vice President, she has financial interest there [as she stated in her SALN]. Now, he said himself that the Davao city entered into transactions with GenCorp., and that it is worth P30 million. All the more that we want him to take the witness stand to put those [statements] on record for the Senate impeachment court to appreciate,” Tolosa said.

“We’ll need that [on record] for the impeachment court to decide,” Tolosa added.

Kapunan, however, stopped short of saying that Mayor Duterte's 'confession' will boost their impeachment case against the Vice President.

"I rest my case. That's already [calling for] an opinion. I don't have P30,000 with me at the moment," she added, referring to the fine to those who will violate the ban on the parties from speaking on the merits of the impeachment case under Rule 18 of the Senate impeachment rules or sub judice rule. — RSJ, GMA News