PASAY CITY, Philippines — Testifying as a hostile prosecution witness on Day 31 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday, September 29, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte acknowledged that Jaime T. Cruz—a businessman connected to the Vice President’s commercial interests—is his business partner and a close associate of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
During the proceedings, prosecutors probed why GenCorp Industries Inc., a firm partly owned by Vice President Duterte according to her disclosures, consistently bagged Davao City procurement deals.
Cruz represents the JTC Group of Companies Philippines Inc., the primary subscriber in GenCorp, while also holding shared business ventures with Mayor Baste and his brother, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte.
Between 2022 and 2026, the local government of Davao awarded GenCorp 19 separate contracts valued at over ₱33 million. Although the Vice President listed herself as a stockholder and incorporator in her 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), her name was absent from GenCorp’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.
When questioned by Senate President Win Gatchalian on whether he inspected these repeated awards, Mayor Duterte explained that he relied on Assistant City Administrator Tristan Dwight Domingo, to whom he delegated signing authority.
“I do not know. He’s behind me, but 19 in a span of five years is, tingin ko, hindi ganoon karami in the total volume,” the mayor said, referring to Domingo.
Mayor Duterte stated that Domingo assured him GenCorp was fully eligible and met all legal standards. Asked if he ever personally checked the abstracts of quotations to review competing bids, the mayor answered:
“Hindi ko na tinignan.”
He maintained that he only sought verbal confirmation from Domingo on whether the process was legal, if proper procedures were respected, and if GenCorp met the criteria.
City records reveal that only four of the 19 awarded contracts went through competitive public bidding, while 15 were executed via small-value procurement. In one public bidding worth ₱8.4 million for food supplies for 60,000 individuals, GenCorp emerged as the lone bidder.
Responding to further questions on his personal relationship with Cruz, Mayor Duterte denied discussing GenCorp’s municipal contracts with him, but affirmed their existing commercial ties.
“With the individual, yes,” he testified.
The mayor confirmed during direct examination that both he and Cruz hold shares in Chinese Gen Bee Foods Corporation, with Rep. Paolo Duterte also listed as a shareholder in its 2026 General Information Sheet.
Characterizing Cruz’s connection to his family, Mayor Duterte stated:
“Maybe not entirely the family, but he is a friend of my father. He is a known businessman in Davao.”