[Inside the Newsroom] How Rappler uncovered Sara Duterte’s company contracts with Davao City Hall

Hello, I’m Patrick Cruz, Rappler’s public finance reporter. My job is to follow the money — the people’s money — and track how it is allocated, spent, and misused. My coverage, however, somehow shifted when I was tapped as one of three Rappler reporters assigned to cover the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. I was assigned to cover the senator-judges, which meant reporting on the proceedings, the atmosphere inside the courtroom, and the decisions of the senator-judges. One of the stories I wrote on July 20, 2026, involved the impeachment court’s issuance of subpoenas for the bank and…