Securities and Exchange Commission officer Gerardo Del Rosario testifying before the Senate impeachment court on Monday, September 21, 2026. Screenshot from Senate livestream.
Manuel Mogato | September 21, 2026
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte did not divest her interests in at least 16 Davao City-based companies even after she was elected to office in 2022, a clear violation of the Constitution.
Congressmen, sitting as the prosecution panel in an impeachment court, presented an official from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that Duterte violated the Constitution and betrayed the public trust, an impeachable offense making her unfit to serve as vice president.
Taking the witness stand, lawyer Gerardo Del Rosario told the Senate impeachment court that, under the 1987 Constitution, the vice president is not allowed to practice a profession and take an interest in businesses.
Del Rosario listed the vice president’s 18 business interests, including her husband, lawyer Manasas Carpio, from the time she was elected in 2022, a clear violation of the Constitution.
She appeared to have divested in only two companies, but Del Rosario said Duterte did not indicate she had transferred her shares to another person.
Most of the companies did not declare dividends because they also did not report revenues, and some had negative gross sales.
About six companies did not file audited financial statements. Thus, the SEC has no way to determine if any dividends were declared.
Based on the prosecution’s presentation, Duterte did not earn a peso from the 18 companies she had declared on her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).
Prosecutors were puzzled when Duterte declared in her SALN an interest in a restaurant owned by GenCorp Industries Inc. in 2024 and 2025.
But the SEC has no record showing that Vice President Duterte is a shareholder or owner of GenCorp Industries, which listed Jaime T. Cruz as the majority owner of the company that operated a Jollibee franchise.
Cruz was also listed as a major shareholder of several other companies in which the vice president has interests.
Last week, prosecutors presented an official from the anti-graft Ombudsman showing that Duterte’s wealth grew from 7 million pesos to 98 million pesos in more than two decades, based on her SALNs. (Also read: Retired justices told Senate impeachment court it has final say on the proceedings)
Prosecutors said the vice president could not use her companies to show her wealth grew over the years; she did not earn any dividends from any of the 18 companies.
The prosecution has also asked the Senate court to summon Duterte’s younger brother, Sebastian, the current mayor of Davao City.
The prosecution said there could be a potential conflict of interest when GenCorp Industries cornered contracts from the city government.
The prosecutors had already presented two articles of impeachment — grave threats and misuse of confidential funds. (Also read: Vice Presidents posts bail after local court orders arrest)
They are now focused on Duterte’s unexplained wealth, showing her SALN and tax declarations do not match with her wealth based on bank records.
