No GenCorp denial on Sara Duterte's claim of ownership — witness

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GenCorp. Industries Inc. has not issued an official statement disputing Vice President Sara Duterte's declaration that she is one of its stockholders, a defense witness told the…

GenCorp. Industries Inc. has not issued an official statement disputing Vice President Sara Duterte's declaration that she is one of its stockholders, a defense witness told the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday.

Lawyer Suzette Balucanag-Punay, in-house counsel of GenCorp. Industries Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corp., made the statement during the 42nd day of Duterte's impeachment trial.

Asked by private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan whether GenCorp. had officially disputed Duterte's declaration in her 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) that the company was one of her business interests, Punay replied, "No. No such statement [from GenCorp.]."

Kapunan's questioning came amid apparent discrepancies between Duterte's SALN disclosures and GenCorp.'s corporate records.

While Duterte declared GenCorp. and its former name, Timesquare Bee Foods Corp., as business interests in her 2022 to 2025 SALNs, Punay testified that the vice president's name did not appear among the company's stockholders during those years.

Punay said it was not her responsibility to inform GenCorp. about Duterte's SALN declarations identifying the company as one of her business interests, even after she assumed the vice presidency.

She said she was aware of Duterte's declarations but did not consider it her duty, as the company's legal counsel, to bring the matter to the corporation's attention.

"I believe that my function as counsel of GenCorp. [does not include] looking at other people's SALNs and adjusting our records just because somebody declared that he [or she] is a stockholder of our corporation," Punay said.

Kapunan pointed out that the person involved was not just an ordinary individual but the country's vice president.

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