House panel subpoenas SEC chief over records of Sara Duterte-linked firms

The House committee on justice has served the subpoena to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson Francis Edralin Lim for his testimony and submission of corporate records of entities linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her spouse, Manases Carpio.

The subpoena dated March 31 and released on Wednesday, April 8, ordered Lim to attend the House justice committee impeachment hearing on April 14.

As for the documents, the committee is requiring the submission of certified true copies of the General Information Sheet and Audited Financial statements of several companies allegedly affiliated with Duterte and Carpio namely: 

• Metro City Chow Foods Corp. 
• Gencorp Industries Inc.
• Carpio Lawyers
• 888 Bistro
• CALE88 Foods Corp.
• Madayaw Fisheries Corp.
• Mati City Ice Plant and Cold Storage Inc.
• Amianan Shores Inc.
• Geometry Security and Investigation Agency Inc. and 
• Cabletow 88 Shipping and Marine Services Inc.

“The documents are being sought to identify and authenticate the General Information Sheets and Annual Financial Statements of the companies affiliated with Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte and her spouse, Manases Carpio, and to establish the authenticity and accuracy of such corporate records, as well as to testify thereon,” the subpoena read. 

The subpoena was signed by House justice committee chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas, Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, and Secretary General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil.

The two impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President accuses her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, mainly over the following acts: 

• alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential fund and using them as bribes 
• threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his family, including her desire to remove the head of the Chief Executive and 
• alleged accumulation of unexplained wealth

The House committee on justice already found these complaints sufficient in form, substance, and in grounds.

The panel is in the process of determining whether there is probable cause to impeach the Vice President. —with a report from Tina Panganiban-Perez/AOL, GMA News