Sara Duterte denies Jollibee franchise ownership

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Vice President Sara Duterte denied claims that she owns a Jollibee franchise, accusing online news platform Rappler of publishing misleading reports about her business interests.

“I do not own a Jollibee franchise or any other franchise. I previously invested in a company that is part of a legitimate business organization owned and operated by individuals with an established reputation for integrity and good standing,” Duterte said in a statement on Saturday.

“A basic level of research and due diligence should make this clear. Rappler should understand that investing in a company does not automatically equate to owning the company itself, much less owning, managing or operating its individual businesses or franchises,” she added.

She also raised concerns over the “apparent targeting of legitimate businesses, which inevitably causes unwarranted reputational and commercial damage.”

Jollibee was previously linked to Duterte in a forensic financial report presented by analyst Alexander Cabrera during her impeachment trial.

According to Cabrera, GenCorp, a company listed in Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), reportedly owned five Jollibee restaurants.

GMA News has reached out to Rappler for comment and will update this story once a response is received. —VBL, GMA News