Prosecution: Comparison of P2M GenCorp income of VP Sara to Cabrera report 'misplaced'

The defense team comparing GenCorp. Industries. Inc.’s P2.14 million payout to Vice President Sara Duterte based on the company’s books to the alleged P212 million undeclared income of the Vice President from GenCorp. Industries based on analysis of multiple financial records by Atty. Alex Cabrera is a misplaced comparison, the House prosecution team said.

House prosecutor Rodge Gutierrez and private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa, Jr. were referring to the testimony by GenCorp.’s in-house legal counsel, Suzette Punay, during Day 42 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

Punay testified that GenCorp. disbursed P2.14 million return of capital payout to the Vice President due to her loose investment in the firm based on corporate records from 2022 to 2025. Punay, however, said that she is not aware of any document showing as to why the Vice President was paid such amount even if the Vice President’s investment was made to a different firm that was supposed to operate a Jollibee branch that did not push through.

“It is very clear that what has been established by the defense is not the complete picture, and this has been backed up by the questioning of some of the Senator judges. She has limited personal knowledge on the matter, and that is the thing the judges would have to consider about that P2 milion,” Gutierrez said in a press conference after Day 42 of the trial.

“I think it's comparing an apple seed to the apple because she only saw a small portion of GenCorp. records. On the other hand, Atty. Cabrera has seen the bank records, corporate records and the Vice President’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. He considered everything. So that’s the proper analogy if we’re going to give one,” Gutierrez added.

Tolosa agreed as Punay herself admitted that she has not conducted a forensic audit before as compared with Cabrera, who was qualified by the Senate impeachment court as an "expert witness."

Likewise, Tolosa said it is suspect that Punay was categorical in saying that the P2 million GenCorp. disbursement to the Vice President has basis even if she did not see any document why GenCorp. Is making such payout to the Vice President when the latter invested in another firm.

“The P2 million was based on a loose investments which was not able to prove with any documentary basis [as to why GenCorp. Made such payout]. And she can't even say what are the terms of this supposed contract [justifying GenCorp’s payout when the Vice President invested in another firm],” Tolosa said.

“She believes this loose investment even if she didn't see any document. But on the other hand, she's saying, I can't believe the computation of Atty. Cabrera because she has not seen the [pertinent] documents. I mean, if you'll go by your theory that you can believe the investment even if you don't see any document, why can't you believe a Atty. Cabrera?,” Tolosa added.

The defense is presenting its evidence against Article 2 which accuses the Vice President of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution due to amassing P817 million to P1.5 billion of unexplained wealth due to non-declaration of assets and non-divestment in businesses despite a Constitutional ban. —VAL, GMA News