Mayor Baste Duterte declared a hostile witness in sister’s impeachment trial

The Senate impeachment court declared Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte a hostile witness as he took the stand on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) during the ongoing trial of his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte.

The prosecution sought the hostile witness designation citing the mayor's family ties to the respondent and his previous public statements denying knowledge of his sister's ties to GenCorp Industries Inc., a firm involved in several deals with the Davao City government.

Under Section 12, Rule 132 of the Revised Rules of Evidence, a witness declared hostile is deemed to have interests adverse to the examining party or to be favorably disposed toward the opposition.

This designation allows the prosecution team to cross-examine Mayor Duterte and ask leading questions during direct examination—a tactic normally prohibited when questioning one's own witness.

Focus on Article II: City Contracts and Unexplained Wealth

Mayor Duterte was subpoenaed by the Senate to present documents and testify regarding allegations central to Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which alleges unexplained wealth, inaccurate Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), and an improper failure to divest from business interests.

The key facts surrounding his appearance at the impeachment court include:

GenCorp transactions: Previous testimony revealed that the Davao City government awarded 15 contracts—valued as part of a larger cluster of 49 local government deals—to GenCorp, a firm allegedly linked to the Vice President.

Prior denials: In a statement issued prior to his appearance, Mayor Duterte maintained that city transactions with GenCorp—totaling approximately ₱33.26 million across 19 total dealings—were handled aboveboard and that city officials were unaware of any beneficial ownership by the Vice President.

Deferred dppearance: Presiding Officer Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero granted Mayor Duterte a short deferral on Monday to give his office time to gather, authenticate, and reproduce subpoenaed documents prior to testifying on September 29 and 30.

-Paraluman News