DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 14 November 2026)– House Deputy Speaker Janette Garin said Saturday it is still premature to discuss who will replace Vice President Sara Duterte if she is impeached. Iloilo 1st District Representative Garin told “Saturday News Forum,” streamed on the House of Representatives’ YouTube channel, that the Lower House has not yet discussed Duterte’s successor, even though her defense team is about to wind down the presentation of its witnesses. “For us, it’s not yet the time to talk about that because we have to look at the impeachment first. We’re not saying that the Vice President will definitely be impeached. This all depends on the senators-judges and on her camp whether they can answer the questions,” she said. Garin assured that they will follow the constitutional process on succession in selecting the new vice president from among senators or members of the House of Representatives. “Just in case the time comes that someone is anointed, then we will cross that bridge when we get there,” she said. Article VII, Section 9 of the Philippine Constitution states that “whenever there is a vacancy in the Office of the Vice-President during the term for which he was elected, the President shall nominate a Vice-President from among the Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives who shall assume office upon confirmation by a majority vote of all the Members of both Houses of the Congress, voting separately.” The lawmaker said testimonies of the defense witnesses did not offer substantial weight to controvert the allegations of the House prosecution panel on Article 2 in relation to unexplained wealth, violations of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), and prohibited business interest. The defense witnesses, she pointed out, strengthened the prosecution’s position, further pinning down the Vice President instead of disputing their allegations. “I am really surprised by the defense’s witnesses because it seems like they are being forced to defend things that cannot be defended. Defending the indefensible is very difficult, so I sometimes feel sorry for their witnesses,” she said. House private prosecutor Atty. Jay Tolosa said the defense team will present 10 witnesses when impeachment proceedings resume on November 19 and 20. Tolosa said, however, that trial dates for presentation of defense witnesses will most likely extend to the first week of December. The private prosecutor said they are confident with the evidence the House prosecution panel presented, pertaining to Duterte’s unexplained wealth. According to Tolosa, defense witness Atty. Suzette Balucanag-Punay, in-house counsel of both GenCorp and Metro City Chow Foods Corp., admitted that Duterte has “financial interest” through her “loose investment” in GenCorp. “Let us remember that the witness also admitted that GenCorp was the one participating in the bidding and securing contracts with the LGU of Davao. And the witness also admitted that the same entity, the same corporation receiving payments from Davao, is also the one giving money to the Vice President,” he said. He stressed that the Constitution prohibits Vice-President from having any direct or indirect financial interest in any government contracts. Article VII, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution states that the President, Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, and their deputies or assistants “shall not, during said tenure, directly or indirectly, practice any other profession, participate in any business, or be financially interested in any contract with, or in any franchise, or special privilege granted by the Government or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries.” It provides that “they shall strictly avoid conflict of interest in the conduct of their office.” From 2022 to 2025, GenCorp secured 19 food services contracts from the local government. These food services contracts were awarded to GenCorp during Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s term. Punay testified that GenCorp paid Duterte P2.1 million as return of capital from these “loose investments.” “I don’t think there’s such a term as loose investment, but at the end of the day, what is material is that this witness admitted that during her term, the Vice President had loose investment with GenCorp and during this time she was receiving income from GenCorp,” Tolosa said.
