Del Rosario also confirmed that Duterte was listed as a member of the company’s compensation committee, prompting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian to ask whether her corporate roles constituted a prohibited participation in business.
“The provision states that you should not hold another office or employment, engage in another profession, or participate in a business during your term of office,” Del Rosario said in English and Filipino.
“Perhaps it is up to the Senate to determine whether there was indeed a violation,” he added.
When Gatchalian later asked Del Rosario whether Duterte’s membership in the compensation committee indicated a “direct participation” in the corporation’s management, the SEC official referred to the company’s corporate secretary’s report.
Gatchalian then pointed to the constitutional restriction. “Because it states here that participating in any business is prohibited,” he said.
“Yes,” Del Rosario replied. He clarified that the SEC had not investigated Duterte’s corporate positions as a possible constitutional violation, saying the agency’s records reflected corporate filings rather than a determination of a public official’s liability under the Constitution.
Former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang had earlier told the impeachment court that Article VII, Section 13 of the Constitution prohibits the President and Vice President from directly or indirectly participating in business while in office.