Matching values, conflicting addresses cloud Sara's SALN property disclosure
An Island Garden City of Samal assessor told the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday that a property registered under Vice President Sara Duterte's husband was reflected in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), but questions arose over discrepancies in the property's recorded location.
Engr. John Kenneth Enumerables said the property covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) ending in 3134 was the same one reflected in Duterte's asset declaration, citing matching assessed and fair market values.
“The registered owner is Manases Reyes Carpio,” Enumerables said during questioning by defense lawyer Lindon Bacquel.
But under questioning, Enumerables admitted these matching values were his only basis for identifying the property, as the SALN entry did not contain the title number or the property's electronic real property identification number.
He said the city's official records placed the property in Barangay San Isidro, Kaputian District, while Duterte's SALN listed it in Barangay Matanos, also in Kaputian District.
Asked whether the two locations were the same, he answered, “Hindi po.”
Enumerables also confirmed that there was no Barangay Matanos in the Island Garden City of Samal.
Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros also raised questions about the distinction between the two locations, indicating that Barangay San Isidro and Barangay Matanos were separate places.
“They are distinct and separate, not the same barangay,” Hontiveros said, asking Enumerables to clarify the relationship between the two locations.
The assessor replied that he had no personal knowledge of that information but confirmed that Barangay San Remigio existed and that there was no Barangay Matanos in the city.
He said the city's official records placed the property in Barangay San Isidro, Kaputian District, while Duterte's SALN listed it in Barangay Matanos, also in Kaputian District.
The conflicting records prompted Duterte's camp to defend the SALN entry, with spokesperson Paolo Panelo insisting that the difference in barangay designations did not mean the Vice President had failed to disclose the property.
No error — Sara spox
Panelo traced the discrepancy to the property's original title, which he said retained the Barangay Matanos designation even though the land was now located in Barangay San Isidro.
“The mother title po niya nakalagay po sa Barangay Matanos,” Panelo said, adding that the designation could not be changed without a court order.
Panelo maintained that the matching technical description, fair market value, assessed value and land area supported the defense's position that the property had already been declared in Duterte's statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
“Walang nagka-error dito,” he added.
He argued that neither Duterte nor the city assessor nor the Registry of Deeds had made a mistake, saying the discrepancy could be resolved if the government authorized amendments to the affected titles.
“What's needed is somebody to take initiative from our government to authorize the amendment of the transfer certificates of title from this mother title and from this general area to allow it to be changed to the current barangay,” Panelo said.###