Mayor Baste testified that he had no personal knowledge of GenCorp Industries Inc., despite government procurement records showing transactions with the city.
Malacañang on Wednesday said it cannot judge or impose liability on the statements of Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte at the Senate impeachment trial against his older sister, Vice President Sara Duterte – but questioned his total ignorance over multi-million contracts involving a business linked to his sister.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace press officer Claire Castro remarked that there are those who lie to cover up for the wrongs of their sibling, while there are those who lie to destroy their sibling’s reputation.
The younger Duterte told the impeachment court that he knew nothing about the Vice President’s financial interests in GenCorp Industries Inc., which she declared as one of her business interests in her State of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.
“Sa ganyang kaganapan, hindi natin masasabi dahil iyon ay nasa kanyang puso, nasa kanyang isip kung siya ba’y nagsisinungaling o hindi. Pero ang isang mayor o kahit sinumang leader o pinuno, kapag ikaw ay may sakop sa isang ahensiya o sa isang organisasyon, masabi na natin, pati mga areas or bansa mismo, hindi po maaaring basta masabi na walang alam, hindi inaalam o walang pakialam,” Castro said.
She said the Palace cannot pass judgment on the Davao City mayor’s statements.
“Ang ipinakita lang niya kahapon ay wala siyang alam. Wala siyang alam, hindi niya inalam, at parang wala siyang pakialam,” Castro said.
During Tuesday’s impeachment trial, the younger Duterte testified as a hostile witness and confirmed that the Davao City government had 19 transactions with GenCorp Industries Inc., higher than the 15 transactions previously identified in testimony by a Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System witness.
However, he said he had no personal knowledge of its corporate records and that he did not examine these as he saw no irregularity that would prompt him to do so.
“Kung gaano na ba siya katagal na mayor at kung paano hindi niya tinitingnan iyong mga kontratang kanyang pinipirmahan, magiging delikado ito. Kung gagamitin din ito ng iba mga mayors para sabihin, hindi ko alam, na kapatid ko pala iyong ka-transact ko,” Castro said.
“‘Pag tumagal-tagal na, at hindi mo pa rin ito nakikita, kahit na patuloy pa rin na ang ka-transaksyon mo ay isang kumpanya, kailangan siguro mag-isip-isip na. Hindi lang ito para kay Mayor Baste Duterte, sa lahat na po ng pinuno,” she added.
“Kung may liability si Mayor Baste Duterte, hindi tayo ang maghusga dito, maybe taong bayan dahil ang pinuno ay hindi dapat na manatili na laging walang alam or laging walang pakialam,” Castro said.