Senator-judges in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial warned defense witnesses on Tuesday, November 10, that evasive or false testimony could bring contempt citations and perjury charges, after a Davao City accountant repeatedly failed to recall documents bearing her signature.
On Day 41 of the trial, the court grilled accountant Vingelin Bajan over her ties to an accounting firm that later audited companies linked to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio. A second witness, Samal assessor John Kenneth Enumerables, faced questions over conflicting property records in the Vice President's sworn asset declarations.
What happened on Day 41 of the Sara Duterte impeachment trial
According to Inquirer.net's report on the hearing, the exchanges drew open frustration from several senator-judges, with Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo going as far as proposing that Bajan be cited in contempt for allegedly evading questions.
Bajan was the defense's third witness on Article 2, which accuses Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth, failing to fully disclose her assets in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), and failing to divest her business interests while in public office.
Why the Davao City accountant's testimony raised alarms
Bajan was called to testify that the P64,194.72 paid to Duterte by the Davao City local government in 2023 was a salary differential, not double compensation. But the cross-examination quickly turned to her credibility.
Private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia confronted Bajan with the original Articles of Partnership of Ampil, Elises, Ciudadano & Co., a certified public accounting firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2003. The document listed Bajan among its partners and bore a signature she eventually acknowledged was hers.
Bajan repeatedly said she could not remember signing the document, nor an amended 2015 filing that removed her name from the firm.