Pangilinan questions Davao assessor on 379 sqm SALN lot

Senator-judge Francis Pangilinan questioned Davao City Assessor Jaime Adalin on November 9 over testimony about a 379-square-meter property in Vice President Sara Duterte’s 2024 asset declaration, Rappler reported in a news article.

The dispute matters because prosecutors have narrowed the impeachment case to unexplained wealth. By scale, the 10 million-peso Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth entry was 1 million pesos above the two cited Davao purchases combined, according to Atlas360 calculations.

The SALN is a required asset disclosure for Philippine public officials. Pangilinan challenged Adalin after the assessor initially said a property bought by Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, corresponded to the “residential lot” listed in Duterte’s 2024 SALN. The report identified the property as covered by a transfer certificate of title ending in 0775.

“When you were testifying earlier, you said that the two properties in the SALN and the property description in the deed of sale were one and the same…but after the photos were shown, you were not sure,” Pangilinan said during the trial, according to Rappler.

Rappler reported that Adalin became uncertain after prosecutors showed photographs of what was described as a commercial building on the residential lot. Adalin said one image without business signage matched a photograph submitted to his office by appraisers, but he could not confirm whether photos showing a restaurant named “Prime Bistro” depicted the same property.

The questioning took place on Day 40 of the Senate impeachment trial. Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero had asked Adalin whether the 10 million-peso property in Duterte’s 2024 SALN was the same as Carpio’s property under the title ending in 0775. Adalin initially answered yes, citing similarities in tax-declaration figures, Rappler reported.

Pangilinan said the answers raised credibility issues. “Just an observation that, clearly, there are inconsistencies in your testimony. Forgive me, Engineer, but you say one thing, and then you say another thing,” he said.

The prosecution has alleged that Duterte failed to declare two properties in Davao: a Matina, Davao City lot Carpio bought for 6 million pesos in July 2024, and an Island Garden City of Samal property acquired for 3 million pesos in 2018. The defense has maintained that the properties were properly included in Duterte’s SALN, while prosecutors have questioned whether the title cited by the defense matches the asset entry.

The trial resumed November 9 after prosecutors had narrowed the case against Duterte to the unexplained-wealth charge. Atlas360 reported November 3 that the defense was facing a five-day witness deadline before the Senate impeachment court reconvened.

Senator-judge Bam Aquino also asked Adalin whether he had reviewed all of Duterte’s properties in Barangay 74-A. “I was unable to check all of her properties because the subpoena only specified the title ending 0775,” Adalin said, adding that his office could provide an official document on the couple’s properties in the area if required by the court.

Adalin also said he was unsure how many properties Duterte owned in the barangay. “I’m not sure, although if we’re required to submit an official document, we will produce, as required,” he said.

Source: news report, Rappler, November 9, 2026