Sara holds no interest in GenCorp – Baste

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has neither kept nor maintained any interest in GenCorp Industries Inc. since she assumed the post in 2022, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte insisted.

“I, and all other officials and employees of the city government of Davao, never had any knowledge of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte holding an interest in GenCorp Industries Inc.,” the mayor said in a statement released on Monday.

He said neither the names “Sara Zimmerman Duterte” nor “Duterte” appear in GenCorp’s official documents submitted for the transactions, including its Articles of Incorporation.

Duterte, the Vice President’s younger brother, maintained that the city’s transactions with GenCorp Industries were aboveboard. He said claims to the contrary must be supported by verified evidence and reliable documents.

“In every instance, Gencorp Industries Inc. was rigorously evaluated and determined to have submitted the lowest calculated responsive bid or offer.

“Most importantly, in compliance with government procurement laws and administrative issuances, all 19 transactions have been duly processed, reported, and published on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System portal,” the mayor said.

He urged the public to be cautious about unverified claims and narratives, which he said could be politically motivated.

“Let us all be vigilant in managing information and not fall prey to deceptive claims and orchestrated narratives engineered solely to serve political motives that suit personal interests and promote disunity,” he said.

“I remain steadfast in my commitment to transparency, fairness and the absolute truth. This statement is issued ahead of any so-called lawful proceedings as I believe that the people, especially the people of the City of Davao, have the right to know,” he said.

The Vice President declared Gencorp Industries as one of her business interests in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

However, Gencorp did not list her as an incorporator or director based on the firm’s General Information Sheet and Audited Financial Statement submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Davao City LGU had P33,263,161 worth of transactions with Gencorp Industries Inc., covering 19 contracts, contrary to reports citing around P14.32 million.

The mayor said of the 19 contracts that began in 2022, 13 have been completed while six are ongoing.

He explained that four contracts were awarded through competitive public bidding and 15 contracts were processed through small value procurement, as allowed under procurement rules. — Daphne Galvez, Evelyn Macairan