Sara defense yet to link disputed properties to SALNs, says law prof

The defense of Vice President Sara Duterte has yet to establish that properties registered under her husband’s name were the same assets declared in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), a constitutional law professor said Tuesday.

Atty. Ralph Sarmiento said the testimony of Davao City assessor Jaime Adalin, the defense’s first witness, established a geographical connection between a disputed property in Matina Crossing and an asset listed in Duterte’s 2024 SALN, but did not prove they were the same property.

“As to whether the property in the SALN and the property in the acquisition documents were referring to the same property, I think that was not clearly established,” Sarmiento said in an interview.

Adalin had identified a P6-million property acquired by Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, as the same asset declared in the SALN at P10 million. Prosecutors questioned the identification, citing discrepancies in the acquisition cost and property descriptions.

Sarmiento said the defense would need additional witnesses to establish the link, noting that Adalin was not involved in preparing Duterte’s SALN.

“It's the beginning of the puzzle,” he said. “But I think it's not yet the completed puzzle.”

The same issue surfaced Tuesday when the defense presented Island Garden City of Samal assessor John Kenneth Enumerables, who testified about another property registered under Carpio’s name.

Enumerables said he relied on matching market and assessed values to identify the property as one declared in Duterte’s SALN, but could not independently establish that the title and SALN entry referred to the same asset. The records also showed differences in the property's location and acquisition cost.

Sarmiento cautioned against judging the defense’s case based on its first witness, saying it might be reserving more substantial evidence for later in the proceedings.

But he said the defense must also explain the sources and legality of the funds used to acquire the couple’s assets, account for their total value and show that the properties were declared in the SALNs covering the relevant periods.

The prosecution has alleged that Duterte and Carpio accumulated at least P817.87 million in unexplained wealth, based on its financial analysis.

The defense is presenting evidence against Article II, the remaining impeachment charge concerning alleged unexplained wealth, inaccurate asset declarations and prohibited business interests.###