Senator-Judge Bam Aquino advocates for transparency, efficiency and public trust as the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte continues amid legal maneuverings, technical objections and rigorous cross-examinations.
During the past sessions Day 40, Day 41 and Day 42 of the impeachment trial, Aquino stepped up to demand strict accountability and thorough examination of property disclosures. On Day 40 of the impeachment, defense, lawyers called their very first witness: Engr. Jaime “Jimmy” Galinero Adalin, the City Assessor of Davao City.
Adalin testified regarding the operations of the Davao City Assessor’s Office, the maintenance of official tax maps and real property assessment rolls. The defense offered his testimony to establish his personal knowledge of local tax declarations and to counter allegations concerning property disclosures.
During the hearings focusing on real estate holdings linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and Mans Carpio, he emphasized the necessity of a definitive, itemized tally to clear up glaring discrepancies between official Registry of Deeds records and Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Highlighting the confusion surrounding properties in areas like Davao City and Samal, Aquino underscored that real estate records can and should be concretely counted and verified.
The senator called out evasive or incomplete answers from witnesses regarding whether declared lots genuinely match actual total landholdings under Barangay 74-A and other municipalities.
“Mabibilang mo yung dami ng lupa. Mabibilang mo yung nakarehistro. mabibilang mo yung nasa SALN?,” he said.
Emphasizing that physical assets can be definitively audited, he urged that once comprehensive data from the Register of Deeds is formally submitted to the Clerk of Court, it must be directly cross-checked against filed SALNs to resolve whether properties are missing or mismatched.
“So anyway, again, I we’re not supposed to do the work of the defense or the prosecution pero siguro po hiningi na rin ni Senor Risa yung mga detalye ng lahat ng properties sa Davao City ni Mans Carpio, Sarah Duterte Carpio or Joint. Pag na-submit na po ‘yun, magandang mabangga natin ‘yan dun sa SALN. Makita natin yung dami ng mga properties para makita natin ano ba yung probability… mas magiging malinaw kung ano ba tong pinag-uusapan natingloteng ito,” he added.
On day 41 of the impeachment trial, Aquino cut through evasive testimonies of Davao City Accountant Vingelin Bajan, demanding clear accountability regarding corporate partnerships and asset disclosures.
Aquino zeroed in on whether the witness was an active participant or merely a “partner in name” in an auditing firm tied to prominent companies, pressing past memory lapses to get to the truth.
“Naku ma’am. I’m sorry ma’am. You’re in dangerous territory here ma’am kasiang tanong lang po ay meron po wala? In fact, I don’t even think this is a difficult question. Itong mga tanong na’ lumalabas kasi po yung paraan niyo po ng pagsagot parang meron ho kayong tinatago. I’ll be very honest. Okay sige po. Let me begin… Hindi ho ito mahihirap na tanong sa totoo lang po,” he explained.
On the 42nd day of the impeachment, defense witness Atty. Suzette Balucanag-Punay faced intense scrutiny from senator-judges regarding corporate governance and financial disclosures. Aquino zeroed in on fluctuating financial figures and data tracking, pressing the witness to clarify the exact math behind funds linked to the Vice President:
“Iba-iba kasi yung numero dito. I mean iba-iba yung pumapasok na monthly. Ano yung computation para maabot natin yung perang pumapasok kay Vice President Sara no. 1? No. 2, are you saying in 2026 wala na siyang natanggap? Tumigil in 2025?,” he questioned.
When pressed further on whether any payments extended into the current year, Balucanag-Punay admitted she could not confirm but he immediately challenged the basis of the presented numbers, laying bare the gaps in the defense’s financial accounting records.
“Pumunta ka dito with these numbers? Di mo alam kung paano na kuha yung mga numero?,” he said.
The senator highlighted how defensive responses only feed public suspicion and insist on the public’s right to clarity, proving that the impeachment court relies on unyielding persistence and a refusal to let evasion derail the search for facts.
