Metro Manila, Philippines – A Davao City property declared as a residential lot in Vice President Sara Duterte’s 2024 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) was front and center at the impeachment trial resumed on Monday, Nov. 9.
The first defense witness, Davao city assessor Jaime Adalin, initially identified the 379-square meter property covered by a land title ending in 0775 as the same lot declared in the SALN.
The SALN listed an acquisition cost of ₱10 million, while tax declarations presented by the defense identified a residential lot in Juna Subdivision, Matina Crossing, owned by Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
To establish that the property in Matina Crossing was the same in the SALN in Barangay 74-A, Adalin cited the comprehensive land-use map, barangay records, and a local government certification.
“Naging common knowledge doon sa area na ‘yong Matina Crossing is also same with 74-A,” he said.
[Translation: It became common knowledge in the area that Matina Crossing is also the same with 74-A]
The prosecution panel has pointed out that the SALN identified the property only by the barangay, without specifying a title number or other details about the lot.
During cross-examination, the prosecution asked Adalin about the property using Google Maps imagery, which showed a building under construction, and supposedly later occupied by a restaurant, Prime Bistro.
The image raised questions about the SALN description of the asset as a residential lot and Adalin’s explanation that a building classified as commercial could still be used for residential purposes.
The city official later clarified that he could not confirm whether the restaurant in the photographs was the same building inspected by his office, whose records showed a similar building that didn’t have a business signage.
Private prosecutor Jay Tolosa also confronted Adalin with an electronic certificate authorizing registration (eCAR) dated July 24, 2024, which indicated a ₱6-million selling price for the property acquired by Carpio, compared with the ₱10-million acquisition cost declared in Duterte’s SALN.
Adalin said he was unaware of the reason for the difference.
Impeachment court Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero also pressed Adalin on whether the tax records and eCAR established that the property was the same listed in the SALN. The assessor eventually said it was possible but could not confirm with certainty.
Senator-judge Kiko Pangilinan later questioned Adalin’s inconsistent answers, as the assessor acknowledged that he had not checked all of Duterte’s properties in Barangay 74-A because his subpoena covered only the title ending in 0775.
Adalin’s credibility also came under scrutiny over his trips to China. Tolosa questioned him about an alleged all-expenses-paid trip in November 2025, which the assessor initially said he could not recall. Senator-judge Tito Sotto said the question was relevant to assessing witness credibility. Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo reminded the witness that he was under oath and warned that lying could have consequences.
Senator Risa Hontiveros also questioned Adalin about his China trip. The official said records showed a trip in January 2026 but could not recall the places visited or who organized it, describing it as personal travel paid by the participants supposedly including the Davao City administrator, treasurer, and engineer.
Defense lawyer Michael Poa said the defense did not expect questions about the China trip, but added that questions about witness credibility during cross-examination were part of the process.
Poa said Adalin’s testimony was to establish that Matina Crossing and Barangay 74-A are the same.
The court directed that records of properties registered under Duterte and Carpio in Davao City be submitted to help compare with SALN disclosures.
The three witnesses for Tuesday, Nov. 10 are: Island Garden City of Samal assessor John Kenneth Enumerables, Davao city accountant Vingelin Bajan, and Matina Crossing barangay chairperson Cindy Colina.
