Tulfo accuses defense witness of 'lying through his teeth' in Sara Duterte impeachment trial
Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo on Monday, November 9, 2026, accused a defense witness of misleading the Senate impeachment court during the 40th day of Vice President Sara Duterte's trial, after the witness refused to classify a Davao City property bearing a restaurant sign as commercial.
The witness, Davao City Assessor Engr. Jaime Adalin, was testifying on the remaining article of impeachment against Duterte, which alleges that she amassed unexplained wealth and failed to declare all her assets truthfully. According to reporting by Inquirer.net, the confrontation centered on a property in Matina Crossing, Davao City, allegedly owned by Duterte's husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, which the prosecution said never appeared in the Vice President's statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
How the Matina Crossing property unfolded in court
Prosecution counsel and spokesperson Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. presented three Google Maps images of the property during cross-examination. One of the images showed a building with the signage 'Prime Bistro,' a detail that would soon become the flashpoint of the session.
Tolosa asked Adalin to assess the property and say whether it could be qualified as residential. Defense counsel Atty. Lindon Miguel Bacquel objected, but the prosecutor countered that he was simply testing the witness's credibility, arguing that Adalin had been 'dodging questions left and right.'
Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero directed the witness to answer.
'Tulad nga ng sinabi ko, hindi ko naman alam kung yan ba yung subject property,' Adalin said, telling the court he could not confirm whether the image showed the property in question.
Escudero pressed him further, asking whether, as an assessor, he would classify such a building as residential or commercial if he encountered it in the field.
'Depende po yan kung ano yung gamit. Again, our basis is the actual use after inspection of the building,' Adalin answered, explaining that a building classified as commercial could sometimes be used for residential purposes, and that classification varies case by case.
Why the 'Prime Bistro' sign angered the senator-judges
That answer drew a sharp rebuke from Tulfo, who pointed out that the signage on the building spoke for itself. As BNC reported, the senator-judge said the witness was misleading the court by claiming a commercial property was being used as a residence.
'Natawa ako kanina, Mr. Presiding Officer. Nakalagay na nga yung Prime Bistro. Commercial yun, pag sinabing Prime Bistro. And yet sabi niya, commercial pero ginagamit residential,' Tulfo said.
'He's lying through his teeth, lumilitaw. Na para bang pinagloloko tayo, Mr. Presiding Officer,' he added.
The exchange, mixing Filipino and English in the way Senate sessions often do, laid bare the frustration among senator-judges over what they saw as evasive testimony. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian agreed with Tulfo's reading of the property's classification.
'So kahit na residential ang zoning, pero ang pinagaggamitan ay restaurant e dapat i-classify yan as commercial,' Gatchalian said, stating that even a property zoned residential should be classified as commercial if it operates as a restaurant.
What this means for the impeachment trial
The incident goes to the heart of the remaining article of impeachment: whether Duterte truthfully declared her assets. If the Matina Crossing property belongs to her household and was left out of her sworn declarations, the classification fight over 'Prime Bistro' becomes more than a technicality about zoning. It becomes a question of disclosure.
Adalin's insistence that 'actual use' determines classification gave the defense room to argue ambiguity, but Tulfo's public accusation and Gatchalian's concurrence suggest the senator-judges were not persuaded. Philstar.com, which covered Adalin's testimony, noted he was the first defense witness to take the stand in the trial at the Senate in Pasay City.
For ordinary Filipinos watching from the provinces, the case touches a familiar nerve. Property records, tax declarations, and asset statements are the paper trail where unexplained wealth either surfaces or stays buried. When a city assessor, the very official responsible for classifying properties, appears reluctant to call a restaurant a restaurant, it tests public confidence in the institutions that are supposed to keep powerful families accountable.
Evasive testimony draws wider scrutiny
Monday's session was not the first time Adalin's answers drew the court's displeasure. According to the Daily Tribune, the defense witness had earlier been threatened with contempt for evasiveness, and Tulfo's accusation echoed the observations of the prosecution and his fellow senator-judges.
For an administration that campaigned on clean governance, the moment carries political weight. The Senate impeachment court is the most public stage in the country right now, and every evasion, every disputed signboard, every undeclared lot feeds a narrative that the public will carry into the next elections.
The trial continues, with the prosecution expected to press further on the undeclared Matina Crossing property and other assets tied to the Vice President's household. What happens next depends on whether the defense can produce testimony that survives the senator-judges' patience, which on day 40 appeared to be wearing thin.
FAQ
Who accused the defense witness of lying?
Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo accused Davao City Assessor Jaime Adalin of 'lying through his teeth' during the 40th day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial on November 9, 2026.
What property is in dispute?
A property in Matina Crossing, Davao City, allegedly owned by the Vice President's husband, Atty. Manases Carpio. The prosecution said it was not declared in Duterte's statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, and images showed a building with a 'Prime Bistro' sign.
Why does the property's classification matter?
Adalin argued that classification depends on actual use, but Tulfo and Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said a building operating as a restaurant should be classified as commercial, regardless of zoning. The classification bears on whether the property was properly assessed and declared.
What article of impeachment remains against Vice President Duterte?
The remaining article accuses her of amassing unexplained wealth and failing to truthfully declare all her assets in her sworn statements.