Senators threaten witness with contempt
A Davao City assessor drew the ire of senator-judges at the resumption of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday after being perceived as “evasive” when asked about an all-expenses-paid trip to China, prompting lawmakers to threaten possible contempt.
Day 40 of the trial took a tense turn after private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa asked Engr. Jaime Adalin whether he was among the Davao officials who went to China in November last year, sponsored by the Chinese consulate.
Tolosa raised the question to establish Adalin’s personal ties to Duterte, accusing him of being evasive in answering questions about the properties the Vice President declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
“I think that’s irrelevant,” Adalin answered, drawing laughter in the Senate impeachment court. “Actually, I really cannot recall.”
However, Tolosa did not buy it, since the supposed trip had been barely a year ago.
“Your Honor, this is a probing question. I think it’s been clear how evasive this witness has been,” the prosecutor stressed.
Adalin was the defense’s first witness for Article 2, which accuses Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth and undeclared properties. He entered the Davao City local government during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s stint as mayor and was subsequently promoted to city assessor in 2017, after the VP succeeded her father.
Credibility tested
Senator-judge Tito Sotto chimed in, saying Tolosa’s question is “important” to gauge Adalin’s credibility, warning that if he remained headstrong in his refusal, the impeachment court would tap the Bureau of Immigration to verify.
Immediately after, Adalin eased up and said he could not recall only the trip date, but after Escudero pressed him further on whether that amounted to an admission, he said with a chuckle, “Maybe.”
“Again, I don’t have the record. “You don’t memorize all your trips, do you?” he jested.
His response, however, irked Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo and threatened him with contempt for “fooling around” and turning his testimony into a “farce.”
After an hour-long break, Adalin confirmed that the China trip took place in late January this year, but said he could not recall their itinerary.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but this really isn’t funny because it is simply unbelievable that an engineer and city assessor, who supposedly understands the maps presented by both the defense and the prosecution, cannot even recall where in such a vast country he went,” Hontiveros said.