By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte is widening into a closer examination of business transactions involving her family, with the Senate impeachment court subpoenaing Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte over city government dealings with a company linked to the Vice President.
The subpoena, issued on Sept. 16, directs the younger Duterte to appear in connection with the prosecution’s presentation under Article II of the impeachment complaint. It covers transactions involving Gencorp Industries Inc., as well as city records and contracts dating from 2020 involving entities that own or operate a Jollibee branch or establishment.
Prosecution spokesman and Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the records sought by the House panel remain in the custody of Davao City Hall and could be examined against the Vice President’s declared business interests as prosecutors pursue allegations involving unexplained wealth.
“We really see a direct business interest,” Adiong said during a press conference, citing supply transactions discussed during the presentation of Sara Duterte’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
According to Adiong, some supply contracts were awarded through regular competitive bidding to a business partly owned by the Vice President.
The congressman stressed that the transactions were public procurements and had undergone the regular bidding process, but said the prosecution wanted to establish whether there were dealings between the company and the Davao City government.
Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa earlier said Sebastian Duterte could potentially be treated as a hostile witness if his testimony proves adverse to the prosecution’s case.
“We want to know here if in his capacity as mayor of Davao, there were any dealings with this company,” Tolosa said.
The mayor had initially been ordered to appear before the impeachment court on Sept. 23. Presiding Officer Francis Escudero said the court would assess the prosecution’s progress on Sept. 22 and could withdraw and reissue the subpoena depending on whether earlier witnesses had completed their testimony.
Separate scrutiny is also intensifying around flood control projects in the congressional district of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, the Vice President’s older brother.
The National Bureau of Investigation has flagged 47 projects in the district for further investigation, with 51 individuals connected to construction companies and government agencies set to receive subpoenas.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said six of the 47 projects showed what investigators considered clear problems based on documents obtained from the Department of Public Works and Highways, including alleged ghost and substandard projects.
The investigation also focuses on approximately P1.9 billion worth of flood control contracts awarded to Genesis88 Construction Inc. in the congressional district.
Matibag earlier said the NBI was examining why a single contractor obtained multiple projects within the particular congressional district.
The bureau is preparing subpoenas for individuals connected to three construction firms, including Genesis88.
Officials and personnel from Agong Construction, Gemma Construction, the DPWH regional office and the Commission on Audit are also among those expected to be subpoenaed, according to Matibag.
The developments place both Davao City government transactions and flood control projects under heightened scrutiny as investigators and impeachment prosecutors pursue separate lines of inquiry involving business dealings, public contracts and government records.
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