Should Duterte get a free pass for ‘missing’ VP Sara’s ties to Gencorp?

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

Davao Mayor Baste Duterte Defends Delegation of Gencorp Contracts in Sister’s Impeachment Trial, Sparking Legal Debate

The mayor’s defense, which drew support from some senator-judges presiding over Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, raises questions about accountability in local governance and the legal limits of delegated authority when family ties are involved.

Duterte took the witness stand on the 31st day of the impeachment proceedings against his older sister, who faces charges including corruption linked to Gencorp. He insisted he had no direct involvement in the city government’s contracts with the company, stating that he did not personally review or approve them.

Instead, he said he delegated procurement responsibilities to Assistant City Administrator Tristan Domingo, citing the volume of documents he must sign weekly—estimates from senator-judges suggest between 2,500 and 3,000.

Senator-judge Christopher "Bong" Go defended Duterte’s delegation, arguing that the mayor’s workload made it impossible to scrutinize every document. "Mayor Baste Duterte is not the one on trial here," Go said. "Davao City is a huge city, and a mayor has a lot of documents to sign.

It is impossible for him to go over each document, so he really needed to delegate the task." Go, who previously served as an aide to Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, during four of his seven terms as mayor, emphasized the impracticality of personal oversight.

Other senator-judges echoed similar sentiments. Alan Peter Cayetano noted that mayors cannot govern effectively if forced to review every transaction. "You will not have any other time to govern if you’re going to have to look at each and every company, each and every document, each and every person," he said. "Under the law, you can rely on the signature of your personnel officer."

Senator-judge Panfilo "Ping" Lacson referenced the Arias doctrine, a legal principle allowing officials to rely in good faith on subordinates’ actions. He asked Duterte whether he had been advised of this doctrine, which permits heads of offices to trust their staff’s recommendations.

However, Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo pressed Duterte to investigate the city staff and administrator who facilitated the Gencorp contracts. Duterte dismissed the suggestion, stating, "As long as my sister’s name, the Vice President’s name, was not on the contract, then there’s nothing."

Outside the courtroom, prosecution representatives expressed skepticism, calling Duterte’s claim of ignorance difficult to believe. Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who attended the trial as a potential prosecution witness in Sara Duterte’s explained wealth case, warned of broader implications. "If what he says is allowed, all the mayors in the Philippines can sign contracts with their siblings," Trillanes said. "They will just feign ignorance. So think about that. That’s the implication here."

The trial continues as senator-judges weigh whether Duterte’s delegation of authority absolves him of responsibility in contracts tied to his sister’s business interests. Legal experts and opposition figures have highlighted the case as a test of accountability in local governance, particularly when family ties intersect with public procurement.

Related: Gencorp Industries Inc.