Vice President Sara Duterte arrives at a Quezon City court. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA (UPDATE) — Vice President Sara Duterte was a member of the board of directors of the Metro City Chow Foods Corporation from 2022 to 2025, an executive from the Securities and Exchange Commission testified Monday during the resumption of the Senate impeachment trial.
Gerardo del Rosario, the director of SEC's company registration and monitoring department, confirmed that Duterte was incorporator and director of the Metro City Chow Foods in 2016 or when the company was registered with the agency, citing the company's Articles of Incorporation.
Misleading? Defense objects to SEC summary of Duterte business interests
Duterte was a member of its board of directors and at the same time was a member of its compensation committee from 2018 to 2021, according to the General Information Sheet cited by Del Rosario.
Most notably, she held the two positions from 2022 to 2025 during her term as vice president, the records showed.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Atty. Gerardo del Rosario takes the witness stand for the prosecution during the 27th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, September 21, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
Del Rosario, also a lawyer, was asked by prosecution lawyer Erwin Matib whether a vice president can also be a member of the board of directors of a company.
Defense counsel Justin Gular objected to the question, arguing it called for the opinion of the SEC witness whom he described as "incompetent" to address such an inquiry.
But presiding officer Francis Escudero overruled the objection and said he was also "interested" to know whether the regulatory agency had flagged Duterte's positions in the firm.
Del Rosario cited a provision in the 1987 Constitution which bars the president, vice president and members of the Cabinet from holding any other positions and from having business interests to avoid conflict of interest while in office.
He was referring to the Section 13 of Article VII of the charter, which states that the said public officials should not "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."
President, VP barred from participating in any business—ex-Sandiganbayan justice
Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asked Del Rosario if there were efforts from Duterte to divest from the companies linked to her when she assumed the vice presidency.
The prosecution panel has alleged that Duterte failed to divest and instead "willfully continued" her business interests while serving as vice president.
The SEC official said the vice president did not submit documents indicating the transfer of her stake to other individuals.
Del Rosario agreed that Duterte was deemed divested from Metro City Chow Foods Corporation and SGT Fortune Horse Corporation through information indicated in the amended or updated General Information Sheets submitted to the SEC.
"Kung 'di na nakalista ang pangalan niya, 'yun na ang parang presumption na hindi na siya kasama doon," he said.
(There is a presumption that she no longer holds a stake in a company if her name was no longer listed in the General Information Sheet.)
Duterte and her lawyers have maintained that accusations against her have no basis and are politically motivated.
Prosecution turns to corporate records in VP Sara Duterte wealth case