Who is Jaime Cruz?

Businessman Jaime T. Cruz has figured prominently this week during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as his name appeared either as incorporator, director, or shareholder of at least six firms involving the Vice President and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio.

Cruz is no stranger to the Duterte family. He first served as the country's special envoy for trade and investment in China in 2019 during the presidency of the Vice President's father, Rodrigo Duterte.

A Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report in April 2019 stated that Cruz served as a high-ranking official in companies identified by members of the Duterte family as having interests in. These firms are declared in their respective Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).

According to the PCIJ report, these firms include:

• Chinese Gen Bee Foods Corporation
• City Hall King Chow Foods Corporation
• Davao Bounty Times Foods Corporation
• Davao Emerging Taipans Corporation
• Davao New Royal Taipan Foods Corporation
• Grand King Foods Corp.
• Grand M.D. Business Development Corporation
• Jolly General Foods Corporation, Incorporator
• Metro City Chow Foods Corporation, Incorporator

Gerardo Del Rosario, director of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Company Registration and Monitoring Department, testified that Jaime T. Cruz's name also appeared in the company records of the following businesses of the Vice President and her husband, namely:

• City Hall King Chow Foods Corporation
• Metro City Chow Foods Corporation
• Great Jolly Times Food Corporation
• Davao New Royal Taipan Foods Corporation
• Davao Emerging Taipan Corporation and
• Davao Bounty Times Food Corporation

Del Rosario also earlier told the impeachment court that Cruz is the top subscriber of Metro City Chow Foods Corporation with 1,997 shares, followed by Vice President Duterte's 500 shares. — VDV, GMA News