Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte firmly denied any association or transactions with former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, who recently implicated him and others in a House inquiry regarding a multi-billion-peso shabu shipment seized in 2018.
In his statement, Paolo Duterte cast doubt on Guban’s credibility, noting that Guban had previously been cited for contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for allegedly lying under oath. “It’s clear that this person lacks credibility,” Duterte said, questioning why Guban was now considered a “star witness.”
Attorney Raymond Fortun, representing former presidential adviser Michael Yang, echoed similar sentiments, describing Guban’s statements as “hearsay.” Fortun pointed out that Guban’s current claims contradict his previous sworn testimonies and emphasized that Yang’s name was absent from all shipping documents, disqualifying him as the shipment’s owner.
Duterte also emphasized that he had never met Guban and had no connections with him, stating there was no reason to feel threatened by Guban’s allegations.
Paolo Duterte expressed his intention to review Guban’s sworn statement with his legal team for further examination.