PROFILE: Who is GenCorp, Metro City Chow counsel Suzette Balucanag-Punay?

MANILA — The defense’s supposed first witness Atty. Suzette Balucanag-Punay, the corporate counsel of corporations allegedly linked to Vice President Sara Duterte, took the witness stand on Wednesday. 

Punay, who missed the Monday session due to an MRI examination, is the in-house counsel for GenCorp Industries Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corporation. She has been a lawyer in Davao City for fifteen years.

Atty. Justin Gular, counsel for the respondent, said Punay’s testimony aimed to prove that Duterte was neither a stockholder, officer, or director of GenCorp. 

She also aims to prove that Duterte is only a stockholder and listed as a director of Metro City Chow Foods Corp and has neither participated or supervised the management and operations of such corporation. 

Through the witness testimony, the defense also argues against the findings of the prosecution’s forensic financial analyst Atty. Alexander Cabrera.

Counsel for prosecutors Atty. Lorna Kapunan pointed out that the witness was only an in-house lawyer and asked if she was authorized by a board resolution of GenCorp and Metro City Chow to appear before the impeachment court and testify for both companies. 

But Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero later allowed the witness to testify on her oath as a lawyer and said the court would make a ruling regarding the query on the board resolution at the appropriate time.