Sara Duterte impeachment trial Day 41: Contempt warning, salary differential, witness's accounting firm ties

Résumé détaillé

Senate impeachment court Presiding Officer Francis Escudero opened the 41st day of the impeachment trial by warning witnesses against lying or mocking the court, saying they could…

Senate impeachment court Presiding Officer Francis Escudero opened the 41st day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte by warning witnesses against lying or mocking the court, saying they could be held in contempt.

This came a day after defense witness and Davao City Assessor James Adalin was seen smiling during his testimony and telling private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. that the latter's question about his trip to China was irrelevant.

Engineer John Kenneth Enumerables, assessor of the Island Garden City of Samal, then testified that he was unsure whether the property in Samal acquired by Duterte's husband, Manases Carpio, in 2013 was the same property declared in their joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from 2015 onward.

Enumerables said he could not confirm this because the SALN did not indicate the property's Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT).

Senator-judges also reminded him to clarify the records concerning the property's location, as land titles in the area indicate Barangay Matanos while its tax declaration and other documents identify it as Barangay San Isidro.

Before the noon break, the defense and prosecution panels raised concerns over possible violations of the sub judice rule.

Lead defense counsel Sheila Sison said Tolosa's statements did not constitute fair commentary, while Tolosa argued that statements made by the Vice President against the prosecution and the impeachment court not only violated the sub judice rule but also unfairly attacked the integrity of the impeachment proceedings.

Davao City Accountant Vingelin Bajan testified that Duterte received P64,194.72 from the Davao City government in January 2023 as payment for salary differentials dating back to her previous terms as city mayor.

Bajan confirmed a summary of payroll records showing that Duterte was entitled to P64,194.72 in salary differentials for 2020 and 2021, when she was still Davao City mayor.

Début de l'article, extrait de GMA News. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.