Subpoena bids include Baste

The House prosecution panel has named Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte as one of the witnesses it wants subpoenaed to testify in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“He is among the witnesses listed in the request for the issuance of subpoenas submitted by the prosecution last week,” House prosecution panel spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said during a news forum Saturday.

Tolosa said Duterte was being called primarily because of his position as Davao City mayor, noting that the prosecution is looking into the financial interests of companies identified in the Vice President’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, including GenCorp Industries.

“We want to see if this company had any dealings with the city government of Davao,” he said.

The spokesperson said the prosecution team would ask the impeachment court to declare the Davao City mayor a “hostile witness” during the trial if the Vice President’s brother establishes that his interests are adverse to the prosecution’s.