“What is essential in this trial is fairness. So if we’re going to spend the whole morning and afternoon looking at these documents tapos mali yung label, it will prejudice, of course, the defense and the Vice President.” ~Senator Judge Allan Peter Cayetano
Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense counsel Atty. Justine Gular accused prosecutors of trying “to condition the mind”. Gular raised a formal objection on Day 27 of the Senate impeachment trial.
“This is precisely why we need to object, clearly this is again an attempt—and apologies to use the term— to condition the mind of the public over these figures that will be flashed.”
He challenged the Securities and Exchange Commission summary regarding the vice president’s shareholdings. The defense lawyer argued that the figures “belong to the corporation” rather than Duterte herself.
Misleading Graphics
Gular stated that displaying these company numbers creates an unfair impression for the public. He warned that viewers might mistakenly attribute total corporate funds to the vice president.
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However, private prosecutor Atty. Erwin Matib countered that “wala pong misleading” in the document. Matib noted that the chart contained a special column detailing Duterte’s actual ownership shares.
Misleading Document
Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero agreed that the graphic title was indeed “misleading” to viewers. Senator Judge Allan Cayetano also emphasized that fairness is essential throughout this impeachment trial.
Consequently, Escudero ordered the tech booth operator to redact the title from every page. The court then allowed the prosecution to present the modified summaries without the header.
Under questioning by private prosecutor Atty. Erwin Matib, the testimony of Atty. Gerardo del Rosario detailed the SEC records of Metro City Chow Foods Corporation, derived from its Articles of Incorporation (AOI), General Information Sheets (GIS), and Audited Financial Statements (AFS).
Corporate Ownership Record
According to the SEC summary, Metro City Chow Foods was established to operate restaurants and catering services. The company’s AOI listed VP Duterte as an incorporator and director.
Out of the corporation’s ₱1 million authorized capital stock and ₱250,000 total subscribed capital, Duterte subscribed to ₱50,000—representing a 20 percent ownership stake—with an initial paid-up amount of ₱12,500.
Subsequent GIS submissions showed Duterte fully paid her ₱50,000 subscription and remained listed as a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Compensation Committee from 2018 through 2025.
When Matib remarked that Duterte appeared to consistently win board elections, defense counsel Atty. Justine Gular objected to counsel drawing conclusions.
Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero intervened to clarify that in small corporations with five incorporators, all five stockholders routinely make up the entire five-member board.
Matib also cited Article 7, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution, which restricts the President and Vice President from holding other offices or participating in business during their tenure.
However, Escudero noted that the constitutional text specifically bars participating in business rather than holding a “business interest,” a distinction Del Rosario acknowledged misinterpreting.
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1987 Philippine Constitution
