Some real properties not found in Duterte’s SALNs, officials say

MANILA (UPDATE) — Some real properties acquired by Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, were not found in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), officials from the Land Registration Authority testified Thursday at the Senate impeachment trial.

The prosecution has accused Duterte that she had failed to fully and truthfully disclosed all her and her spouse’s wealth in her SALNs, which her lawyers have rejected. 

It has insisted on scrutinizing the wealth of Carpio arguing his assets upon marriage are presumed conjugal properties with Duterte. 

Duterte jointly filed her SALNs with Carpio.

During Thursday’s proceeding, lawyer Kathy Florence Baldonado of the Register of Deeds of Davao City confirmed during direct examination by House prosecutor Rep. Keith Flores that Carpio bought a P6-million property in 2024 in Barrio Matina, Davao City, which has an area of 379 square meters. 

Baldonado said the property was not found in Duterte’s 2025 SALN.

Presiding officer Francis Escudero also confirmed that he did not find the particular property in the declared Real Properties section in Duterte’s 2025 SALN.

The senator-judge pointed out that the SALN’s format does not require public officials to declare the actual area of a property.

Duterte lawyer Lindol Bacquel argued that it would be erroneous for the court to find that the property was not included in the Vice President’s SALN. 

He said the Senate court should take judicial notice of geographical divisions in the Philippines and that Matina Crossing is also known as Barangay 74-A, which was declared in the SALN.  

Lawyer Marco Pineda, deputy register of deeds of Samal, Davao del Norte, also confirmed that Carpio bought a property in Barangay Matanos, Island Garden City of Samal, which has an area of 751 square meters. 

The property, bought in 2018, was purchased for P3.45 million.

Pineda said that he found no entry in the 2019 SALN of Duterte that could match the parcel of land described in the Deed of Absolute sale dated 2018. 

During cross-examination by Bacquel, Baldonado confirmed that she has no personal knowledge on the listed assets and liabilities of Duterte, as well as her net worth and financial and business interests. 

The property registrar also said that she does not know that Matina Crossing is also known as Barangay 74-A. Prosecution’s Flores interjected to note that Matina is a general area and comprises of several villages, and Escudero said the court will look into the matter.

Bacquel asked Baldonado to read the tax declaration on the P6 million property, particularly, the assessed value. Baldonado said this amounts to P82,046 based on the document that the defense had given her. 

Bacquel then showed the 2024 SALN of Duterte and directed her to the listed property in Row 6. Baldonado confirmed that the assessed value of that property is P82,046, and she also confirmed that based on the document, the property was filed under the portion of “Spouse.”  

Pineda, the second property registrar, also said that he has no personal knowledge on the listed assets and liabilities of Duterte, as well as her net worth and financial and business interests.

Pineda said he cannot confirm if the lot with an acquisition cost of more than P4 million listed in the 2019 SALN of Duterte is the same property in the Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT). 

He noted that the property in the SALN was purchased in 2013, while the property in the Deed of Sale was purchased in 2018.

Bacquel showed a Tax Declaration with the same TCT number, and Pineda read that the assessed value is P346,960. 

Bacquel then showed the 2024 SALN of Duterte in which a declared lot in the document has an assessed value of P346,960. Pineda confirmed they match. 

Flores objected and said the figure in the Tax Declaration may match but it does not mean that the property was declared.