Sara Duterte impeachment trial Day 41: What to expect

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The defense panel will present on Tuesday its second witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to testify on matters concerning the tax declarations and tax maps of a property in the Island Garden City of Samal.

Set to be called to the witness stand this morning is Engr. John Kenneth Enumerables, the city assessor in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte.

In a hearing last month, acting Samal Register of Deeds Atty. Marco Pineda testified that Atty. Manases Carpio, husband of the Vice President, is the owner of a property in the Island Garden City of Samal, which was purchased for P3.4 million in 2018, as reflected in the 2018 Deed of Absolute Sale.

Asked by the House prosecution if the said details stated in the 2018 Deed of Absolute Sale was found in the Vice President’s 2019 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) based on the acquisition year, location and value, Pineda said there were none.

The defense is currently presenting evidence and witnesses for Article II of the impeachment case against Duterte alleging her unexplained wealth due to supposed failure to truthfully disclose assets in her SALN and failure to divest in businesses as required for the President and Vice President under a Constitutional provision.

On Monday, the defense presented its first witness — Davao City assessor Engr. Jaime Adalin.

Senate impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol explained that the way the direct and cross-examinations of Adalin unfolded on Monday served as a preview of the testimony of Enumerables today.

“Tama po, kasi halos pareho po ‘yung kanilang purpose siguro po nu'ng kanilang pagpe-presenta dahil pareho po silang city assessor. And ‘yung kanilang mga ite-testify on are the documents that have been established by the House prosecution panel na nandoon or hindi kasama doon sa SALN ng respondent,” Tongol said in a press briefing.

(That’s correct, as their purpose in terms of their presentation is quite the same, given that both are city assessors. Both their testimonies also concern documents that the House prosecution panel has identified as either being included or excluded from the respondent’s SALN.)

“So ‘yun po ‘yung balak i-establish naman ng ating defense o ng respondent's counsel para po mapakita na nai-deklera po ‘yung mga properties na sinasabing hindi po i-dineklara doon sa SALN,” he added.

(So, that is what the defense or the respondent’s counsel intends to establish — to show that the properties alleged to have been omitted from the SALN were declared.) — BAP, GMA News