MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution panel has acknowledged former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for helping expose key financial leads and corporate connections concerning Vice President Sara Duterte, which eventually prompted a closer look into the controversial GenCorp Industries Inc.
Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro, who serves as the lead prosecutor in Duterte’s ongoing Senate impeachment trial, noted that the panel reviewed its evidence following a public briefing held by Trillanes, discovering connections that aligned with the findings of financial forensic expert Alexander Cabrera.
“Siguro i-commend natin si Senator Sonny Trillanes, sapagkat talagang nagpursige ang prosecution after we heard his press con, talagang masusi naming inaral ’yung mga ebidensya to check,” Luistro said during a weekend news forum.
The former lawmaker and retired Navy lieutenant conducted his press briefing at Club Filipino in San Juan City on October 2, just a day after requesting his removal from the prosecution’s official witness lineup.
“I think ’yung kanyang report on GenCorp is one of those points, highlights na nagtali,” Luistro stated, referencing the long-time critic of the Duterte family.
Luistro pointed back to Trillanes’ previous statements indicating that specific Jollibee locations frequented by the Duterte family were tied to their financial network.
These claims paralleled the testimony given by Cabrera before the Senate impeachment court, which confirmed that GenCorp managed five Jollibee franchises in Davao City, including branches at Centerpoint Plaza Matina Crossing, Gaisano Mall, Abreeza Mall, Times Square Plaza, and Bolton Street in the Poblacion District.
“Because the expert witness testified… lima ang branches ng Jollibee [under GenCorp.],” Luistro said.
Furthermore, the prosecution questioned the exact scope of Vice President Duterte’s stake in GenCorp, noting that while she acknowledged the enterprise in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), the exact volume of her shares remained unspecified.
“Well, we may consider na nakalagay doon ’yung GenCorp at stockholder daw siya sa SALN, hindi naman na-declare ’yung extent ng shareholdings niya,” Luistro noted.
Prior to these developments, the House panel introduced Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and corporate documentation regarding Duterte’s business involvement, alongside records of municipal contracts granted to GenCorp by the local government of Davao City. Cabrera utilized these records to scrutinize GenCorp’s financial background amid allegations of undeclared wealth.
Although Trillanes was initially lined up to take the stand as a prosecution witness, the House team formally dropped him from the list on October 1. Luistro emphasized that his public disclosures nonetheless played an instrumental role in guiding the legal team’s evaluation of documents acquired from various financial institutions and regulatory bodies.
The prosecution team is scheduled to wrap up its presentation of evidence following the defense’s cross-examination of Cabrera.