A Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official testified during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial that corporate records continued to list her as a director and 20-percent shareholder of Metro City Chow Foods Corp. from 2022 to 2025, including during her tenure as vice president.
SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo del Rosario said Duterte had been an incorporator of the Davao-based company since 2016 and remained a board member, while prosecutor Erwin Matib noted that directors are elected by shareholders and questioned Duterte’s continued appearance as a director in yearly corporate filings.
Matib also asked about the constitutional restrictions on a sitting vice president’s involvement in private businesses, citing Article VII, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution, which bars the president, vice president and other covered officials from directly or indirectly participating in business or holding financial interests in certain contracts, franchises or government-granted privileges.
Defense counsel Justin Gular objected to the question, but Senate Presiding Officer Francis Escudero overruled the objection and asked whether the SEC had flagged Duterte’s corporate positions.
Del Rosario said his understanding of the constitutional provision was that covered officials cannot participate in a business, while the Senate impeachment court continues to examine the implications of Duterte’s corporate roles.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 22, 2026
