House prosecution counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. on Monday, Nov. 9, rejected the defense panel's characterization of the prosecution's allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte over the disclosure of a real property in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) as “malicious and completely false.”
Tolosa raised the objection during the testimony of Davao City Assessor Jaime Adalin, taking particular exception to the defense's third offer of testimony, which sought to establish that the prosecution's allegation that Duterte failed to disclose the property covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 146-2024010775 was malicious and false.
“We also vehemently oppose that, especially their characterization that our position that the property covered by the TCT was not disclosed in the SALN was maliciously and completely false,” Tolosa said.
“We take the strongest exception to these accusations. It cannot be said that it is completely false because just a mere facial examination of those two documents would show that there are obvious discrepancies between the two,” he added.
The prosecution counsel argued that the apparent discrepancies between the TCT and the property information in Duterte's SALNs undermine the defense's attempt to dismiss the non-disclosure allegation as completely false.
Tolosa also objected to the defense's second offer of testimony, which sought to establish that the real property covered by the TCT was disclosed in Duterte's SALNs.
He described the offer as “improper” and “misleading,” arguing that Adalin could not establish that the property listed in the SALNs was the same property covered by the title presented by the defense.
“With respect to offer no. 2 that the testimony of this witness would supposedly establish that TCT was disclosed to the SALN of the Vice President, we object to that for being improper and misleading,” Tolosa said.
“There’s no way that this witness can prove that property indicated in the SALN is the same property covered by the subject TCT,” he added.
The defense panel, represented by Atty. Lindon Miguel Bacquel, presented Adalin, the Davao City assessor, as a witness in connection with the property records.
