BUSINESSMAN Jaime T. Cruz, whose name appeared alongside Vice President Sara Z. Duterte in corporate records presented during her impeachment trial, also had connections with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The former President appointed Cruz as a Special Envoy to China for Trade and Investments and later offered him the position of president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
These connections came under scrutiny during Tuesday’s impeachment proceedings when Senator-Judge Erwin Tulfo questioned Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Gerardo del Rosario regarding Cruz’s repeated appearance in companies associated with Vice President Duterte.
Del Rosario confirmed that Cruz’s name appears in the incorporation records of Metro City Chow Foods Corp., Great Jolly Times Food Corp., Davao New Royal Taipan Foods Corp., Davao Emerging Taipans Corp. and Davao Bounty Times Food Corp.
SEC records showed that Cruz and Vice President Duterte were both original subscribers of Metro City Chow Foods Corp. Cruz was listed as the largest original subscriber, while Duterte was the second largest. Both individuals continued to appear as shareholders and directors in the company’s 2025 General Information Sheet (GIS).
‘Jaime T. Cruz’s name appears in the records of Metro City Chow Foods Corporation based on its Articles of Incorporation,’ del Rosario said.
Cruz was also connected to Gencorp Industries Inc., a company declared by the Vice President as a business interest in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), even though Duterte’s name did not appear in the company’s incorporation documents or GIS.
The JTC Group of Companies Philippines Inc. was identified as Gencorp’s largest corporate subscriber, owning 55 percent of the company. Cruz was listed as the representative of JTC in Gencorp’s corporate records.
Tulfo asked whether ‘JTC’ referred to Jaime T. Cruz, but the SEC official stated that the company’s incorporation documents did not provide such information.
The senator-judge then asked the House prosecution panel if the Cruz mentioned in the corporate records was the same businessman appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Envoy to China for Trade and Investments.
Private prosecutor Erwin Matib confirmed that they were referring to the same person.
Matib also confirmed that Cruz was the businessman who had been offered the position of PhilHealth president and CEO during the Duterte administration.
Former President Duterte appointed Cruz as Special Envoy to China for Trade and Investments in October 2019. Earlier that year, Duterte offered Cruz the leadership position at PhilHealth, but Cruz declined the appointment.
The prosecution is examining Vice President Duterte’s corporate and financial connections as part of Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which includes allegations involving unexplained wealth and issues related to asset declarations.