Assessor quizzed: Why confirm property when VP’s SALN has no details?

MANILA, Philippines — After claiming that lawyer Manases Carpio’s property matched the item declared by Vice President Sara Duterte, the Davao City land assessor was questioned how he was able to make that connection when Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) did not contain details.

Counsel for the prosecution Benjamin Tolosa Jr. raised this question on Monday, at the resumption of Duterte’s impeachment trial, after Davao City Assessor Engr. Jaime Adalin claimed that the Carpio’s 379-square-meter parcel of land in Davao City’s Matina Crossing is the same as the property declared by his wif, particularly the residential lot in Barangay 74-A.

Adalin, the defense’s first witness for the impeachment trial explained that he used a property identification map to confirm that Matina Crossing is the same with Barangay 74-A, and the Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) and tax declarations to match the assessed value and fair market value of the two properties.

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“Base po doon sa property identification map, if you will overlay that property identification map with the Google, makikita po ninyo na doon siya nakalagay.  And as far as the term 74-A, again, as I mentioned sa aming comprehensive land use plan, nakalagay ang 74-A,” Adalin said.

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(It was based on the property identification map, if you will overlay that property identification map with Google, you can see where it is located.  And as far as the term 74-A, again, as I mentioned in our comprehensive land use plan, 74-A is the term used there.)

“So to clarify, what you’re stating na sinasabi niyong i-identify, specifically, this is a property identification map niyo itong shaded in red, ‘yong 910 nasabi niyo ‘yong na-identify niyo. ‘Yan ang property, you’re pertaining to the property located in the TCT, tama ho ba, dahil sa TCT nakalagay ang coordinates n’yan,” Tolosa added, which Adalin confirmed.

(So to clarify, what you’re stating is that you were able to identify, specifically, using this property identification map where the lot is shaded in red, the one with ending numbers 910.  This is the property, you’re pertaining to the property location based on the TCT, right, because we can see the coordinates there through the TCT.)

But Tolosa pressed Adalin how he came to that conclusion when there are no coordinates, exact block and lot numbers, for the property that Duterte declared in her SALN.

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“At kapag binangga mo sa tax declaration, na ‘yon ‘yong block number, lot number, street, et cetera.  Tama ho ba?” Tolosa asked.  “Pero lahat ng mga information na yan, wala ‘yan sa SALN, tama ho ba?  Other than the barangay, hindi mo makikita ‘yang coordinates na ‘yan, tama ho ba engineer?”

(When you check the tax declaration, there is a block number, lot number, street, et cetera.  Correct?  But all of this information is not in the SALN, right?  Other than the barangay, you cannot see what coordinates the property is, correct engineer?)

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“Ang nakalagay po sa SALN and as per document is 74-A (What was stated in the SALN and as per the document is 74-A),” Adalin said.

“Exactly, so ang nakalagay lang ang barangay, ang exact coordinates ng property, wala sa SALN, tama ho ba?” Tolosa asked again, which Adalin confirmed.

(Exactly, so what was mentioned is only the barangay, and the exact coordinates of the property are not in the SALN, correct?)

READ: Davao land assessor: Carpio’s Matina property listed in Duterte’s SALN

“If the tax declaration is being attached to the SALN, that could be very easy to identify.  Kasi ‘yong deed of sale as presented, ang naka-reflect doon ‘yong title or formal title.  So again, itong SALN kasi is a document na hindi kami naman na nagpo-produce,” Adalin admitted, when quizzed by Presiding Officer Francis Escudero and Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson

(If the tax declaration is attached to the SALN, that could be very easy to identify.  Because the deed of sale as presented, what is reflected there is the title or formal title.  So again, this SALN is a document that we did not produce.)

While there are different descriptions for the lot purchased by Carpio and the one declared under Duterte’s 2024 and 2025 SALN, Adalin pointed out that both had the same assessed value of P82,046 and a current fair market value of P2,051,150.00.

However, the acquisition cost of the two properties differed: the lot was supposedly bought by Carpio for P6 million while Duterte declared an acquisition cost of P10 million — leading the prosecution to believe that these are two different properties, and one of them was not declared by Duterte in her SALN.

Also, Tolosa pointed out that Barangay 74-A or Matina Crossing is a big area, and there is a possibility that there are other properties inside the said barangay.

“Hindi lang naman po itong ari-ariang ito ending in TCT 0775 ang laman nito (barangay na ito), ‘di po ba?” Escudero asked.  “So ‘yon lamang po ang tinatanong ni Atty. Tolosa, malaking barangay to, at paano niyo nalaman at nasabi na ito nga ‘yong parehong ari-arian ng vice president na dineklara sa kanyang SALN dahil barangay lamang naman po ‘yong pinangalanan.”

(It’s not only this property ending in TCT 0775 that is inside (this barangay), right?That is the question of Atty. Tolosa, this is a big barangay, and how did you know that this is the same property as declared by the vice president in her SALN when only the barangay was named.)

“Sa probinsya po kasi madalas, hindi ba, barangay lang ‘yong binabanggit, kahit ho kami, barangay lang din ang address namin sa probinsya eh.  So paano niyo ho ‘yon matitiyak dahil wala naman pong numero ‘yong bahay, walang kalye, na ito nga po ‘yong property na tinutukoy sa SALN na kanina niyo pa po pinag-uusapan,” Escudero added.

(Even in the province, only barangays are mentioned in the address, even us, our address only refers to the barangay.  So how can you support your claim when there is no lot number, no street, indicating where the property mentioned in the SALN is located.)

During the hearing last October 1, two property registrars presented by the prosecution as witnesses testified that two parcels of land in Davao City purchased by Carpio were not reflected in Duterte’s SALN.

According to Davao City Register of Deeds IV Kathy Florence Baldonado, Carpio supposedly purchased a 379-square-meter parcel of land located in Juna Subd., Matina Crossing, Talomo, Davao City, Davao del Sur. 

However, even Escudero himself said during that trial day that he was not able to find this property in Duterte’s SALN.

READ: Carpio’s land purchases in Davao not reflected in VP’s SALN – witnesses

Aside from Baldonado, Samal Deputy Register of Deeds III Marco Pineda said that another parcel of land measuring 751 square meters was purchased by Carpio in Matanos, but was not declared in Duterte’s SALN.

According to Pineda, the records of the registry show that Carpio acquired the land on March 15, 2018 for P3,453,849.  But the defense has maintained that these properties were declared by Duterte in her SALN.

Duterte is still being tried for Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, or the accusation that she has unexplained wealth and that this was not declared in her SALNs while serving as vice president.

Only one article remains after the prosecution decided last October 13 to withdraw three out of four articles. 

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If she is convicted for Article II, Duterte will be removed from office and may suffer the penalty of permanent disqualification from holding public posts.