With the attention shifting to the Defense team’s own witnesses.
After a three-week break, the Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte resumed on November 9 (Monday), with the Defense team starting the presentation of its witnesses.
The other side of the bench first called on Davao City Assessor and Engineer Jaime Adalin as its first witness.
He was there to testify and counter the prosecution’s prior presentation regarding a property in Matina Crossing, Davao City.
Noted to be owner by by Second Gentleman, Atty. Manases Carpio, it was argued to have not declared in Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Defense counsel Lindon Bacquel said Adalin’s testimony would prove through authentic tax declarations that the prosecution’s claim was “malicious and completely false.”
Adalin then confirmed that Barangay Matina Crossing and Barangay 74-A are the same and brought out two property tax declarations named after Carpio.
During cross-examination, Prosecution Atty. Bemjamin Tolosa raised that that the City Assessor cannot be certain about the properties filed by the Vice President on her SALNs are the same with those in the Transfer of Certificate of Titles.
Shown a picture of the a property, the City Assessor said he is unsure, having not personally checked the properties.
A lighter moment occurred when Adalin answered Tolosa by saying a question about him going to Beijing, China in an all-expense paid tour in 2025 is “irrelevant.”
He, however, confirmed that he went to Beijing in November 2018, with other city officials. A trip, that he said he does not remember who organized.
On the 41st day of the trial on November 10 (Tuesday), Engineer John Kenneth Enumerables, City Assessor of the Island Garden City of Samal, was then presented as the next witness.
He was there to testify for a property in the Island Garden City of Samal.
For the defense, they stated that their position is that the acquisition cost includes not just the purchase price, but all other taxes and expenses relative to such a purchase.
However, in the location of the property in the documents brought by Enumerables, it was raised by Presiding Judge Senator Francis Escudero that Brgy. San Isidro is different compared to the location of the property in the SALN, which is Brgy. Matanos.
Enumerables, however, said there is no Brgy. Matanos existing in the city and was later noted that Matanos within Barangay Pangubatan—one that exists.
As for the prosecution, they cited a memorandum circcular by the Civil Service Commission, which mentions that in order for a sale to be consummated, all one needs to do is fulfill the requirements.
For the acquisition cost, he told, these can have the taxes and fees not included.
Meanwhile, Davao City accountant Vingelin Bajan was presented to refute the allegation that VP was still earning compensation from the Davao City government in 2023, despite her capacity as Vice President of the country having begun in June 2022.
According to her, the PHP64,194.72 received by the Vice President covers her salary differential for the years 2020 and 2021, during her term as Davao City Mayor. It took time for the documents to be processed and the check was only issued in 2023.
The witness’s participation in ana counting firm called Ampil, Elises, Ciudadano & Co. was also brought up, where she noted that she was only a partner in name. The firm is said to have been linked to the companies owned by Atty. Manases Carpio.
Asked during the trial, she said that she is unfamiliar to companies previously linked by the Prosecution to Carpio.
On the 42nd day on November 11 (Wednesday), Atty. Suzette Balucanag-Punay, corporate counsel of GenCorp and Metro City Chow, was presented as the fourth witness of the week.
She testified about the VP Sara Duterte not being a a stockholder, officer, or director of GenCorp and to contrast the findings of the Prosecution’s forensic financial analyst Atty. Alexander Cabrera, who was previously presented before the court in October.
She said in her testimony that Duterte had no positions in their company from 2022 to 2025.
Baluncanag-Punay also refuted the claim that Duterte had 20% share in the company and said it is not consistent with their articles of incorporation.
However, she later noted that Duterte had an investment in the Jollibee Times Square branch in Davao, but not in GenCorp.
She also confirmed that GenCorp gave a return of capital to Duterte because of her investment in the Jollibee Times Square branch. Prior to that, she also confirmed that there were disbursements made through checks.
Another point raised during her testimony was Duterte’s involvement in Metro City Chow Foods Corp.
There, it was found that Duterte has 20% share holdings in the corporation and was not involved in the daily operations of the company, despite her inclusion in the Compensation Committee from 2022 to 2025.
In the cross examination by the Prosecution, they raised that Duterte herself included a shareholding in GenCorp, a matter that Punay said that only Duterte can answer.
On the 43rd day on November 12 (Thursday), Atty. Anel Martin Antero was called to the witness stand to prove the circumstances regarding the P205,007.29 credit card charge in Japan of Atty. Manases Carpio.
Antero said that it was a bill at a restaurant on Ginza in Tokyo, Japan, with Carpio footing the bill through his card as some people in their group of 11 friends already have no cash with them.
Meanwhile, in their cross examination, the Prosecution brought up old social media posts of the witness and asked for any proof of them dining together in Japan—with the witness saying he has none.
Meanwhile, another witness, Chadrin Parian, was called to the witness stand for a separate credit card charge of Carpio amounting to P256,882.50, which was charged in Malaysia.
According to Parian, Carpio paid for the shoes of the team after winning in a basketball tournament for kids, where the latter served as a team manager. The Defense also presented photos as proof.
Meanwhile, the Impeachment Trial will resume on November 19 (Thursday), after the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, which saw the declaration of holidays from November 16 to 18 in Metro Manila.
