The prosecution in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial raised questions over her continued ownership of a company after she assumed office in 2022, citing corporate records presented to the Senate impeachment court.
Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a prosecution spokesman, said Monday that Duterte remained a shareholder and director of Metro City Chow Foods Corp. throughout the 2022–2025 period. Securities and Exchange Commission Company Research and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo Del Rosario presented the company’s records during the 27th day of the impeachment proceedings.
According to the documents, Duterte was among the company’s incorporators and held a 20-percent ownership stake. Del Rosario told the impeachment court that the company’s ownership arrangement did not change during the period covered by the records.
Adiong argued that Duterte’s continued interest in the company breached the constitutional restrictions imposed on the Vice President.
“It is very clear that VP Sara Duterte was elected Vice President for the 2022–2025 term, yet she did not divest from any of the companies or businesses where she served as a director or shareholder,” Adiong said in Filipino in a briefing.
“So, this is a clear violation—as plain as day—of our Constitution, specifically Article VII, Section 13, which prohibits the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members from holding any direct or indirect interest. The Constitution forbids that,” he added.
The financial records also showed that Metro City Chow Foods reported losses from 2020 through 2024 before registering P207,137 in net income in 2025. Del Rosario said the company did not distribute dividends during the period presented.
Adiong subsequently questioned the reason for maintaining the investment despite the absence of declared dividends, tying the matter to questions about the increase in Duterte’s declared net worth.
“We are talking about unexplained wealth here. It appears no dividends are being received, and no income is flowing back to her. Why run a business that is continuously losing money, and if your business is constantly incurring losses, why is your net worth increasing?” the congressman said.
