Carpio property matches Sara’s SALN entries — Davao assessor
Defense presents their first witness Davao City Assessor Engr. Jaime G. Adalin on the 40th day of the impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, on Monday, 9 November, 2026.| Photos by , SPPA POOL
Aram Lascano
A Davao City assessor testified on Monday that a property registered under Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, Manases Carpio, corresponds to real estate declared in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
Engineer Jaime Adalin, the city assessor, told the Senate impeachment court that the property was registered under Carpio’s name and located in Matina Crossing, Davao City.
“Isa lang po ’yan sila,” Adalin said when asked whether Marina Crossing and Barangay 74-A referred to the same place.
Adalin identified Carpio as the registered owner of the land and a building constructed on it. The land, according to its tax declaration, has an assessed value of P82,046 and a market value of P2,051,150.
A separate declaration for the building listed an assessed value of P5.24 million and a market value of P6.99 million.
When shown Duterte’s 2024 SALN, Adalin identified an entry for a residential lot in Barangay 74-A with an assessed value of P82,046 and a fair market value of P2,511,150.
He also identified a commercial building entry corresponding to the building covered by the tax declaration he presented.
But the records showed a difference between the market value in the SALN and the tax declaration.
Asked about the discrepancy, Adalin said the tax declaration reflecting the P2.05-million market value had been cancelled after the property was sold and transferred to Carpio.
Adalin explained that the city assessor’s office determines assessed values using assessment levels prescribed by local ordinances, while market values are based on the schedule of market values approved by the city government.
“The market value is also based on the ordinance approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” he said.
The defense presented Adalin to counter the testimony of Davao City Register of Deeds Kathy Florence Baldonado, who earlier told the impeachment court that Carpio acquired a 379-square-meter property in Matina for P6 million in July 2024.
Baldonado said she could not find a corresponding entry in Duterte’s 2025 SALN based on the property's purchase price, location and mode of acquisition. The title also carried an annotation showing that Carpio and Duterte mortgaged the property for P8 million in August 2024.