Davao accountant can’t confirm own signature, tests senator-judges’ patience

Résumé détaillé

The soft-spoken Vingelin Bajan elicits warnings of contempt as she evades questions on her former affiliation with the auditing firm that has among its clients Sara Duterte-linked companies, the Vice President, and husband Mans Carpio

WITNESS. Davao City accountant Vingelin Bajan during Day 41 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on November 10, 2026.

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At the resumption of Vice President Sara Duterte‘s impeachment trial on Monday, November 9, senator-judges had to contend with what the prosecution called a “rude awakening” in the person of Davao City Assessor Jaime Adalin, the defense witness who initially lied about a trip to China.

With that incident still fresh on the minds of senator-judges, two of them, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, on Tuesday, November 10, asked the impeachment court to remind witnesses of the penalties they face if they lie under oath. It was fair warning for all other witnesses of the trial, which Escudero would repeat every time a new witness took the stand.

Engineer John Kenneth Enumerables, city assessor of the Island Garden City of Samal, seemed to have heeded the reminder, and his testimony did not elicit any contempt warning. But then came the third defense witness, Davao City accountant Vingelin Bajan.

At one point, the usually jovial presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero expressed frustration and said in a stern tone that his patience was “wearing thin” over Bajan’s “evasive” responses to the prosecution’s questions.

“My patience is wearing thin, forgive me,” Escudero told Bajan, as she directed her to respond to questions.

What was Bajan being evasive about? In challenging her credibility, House private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia asked the city accountant about her previous employment as a partner of the Ampil, Elises, Ciudadano, and Co. accounting firm.

Bajan repeatedly said she could not remember working as a partner of the firm. Confronted with documents bearing her own signatures, Bajan appeared confused, saying the Articles of Partnership and Amended Articles of Partnership, indeed, contained her tax account number and signatures similar to hers…

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