Two properties owned by lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio were not listed in the 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of his wife, Vice President Sara Duterte, according to two property registrars testified during the impeachment trial on Thursday.
The prosecution presented Davao City Register of Deeds IV Atty. Kathy Florence Baldonado and Island Garden City of Samal Deputy Register of Deeds III Atty. Marco Pineda as witnesses on Day 32 of Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Their testimonies focused on property records in Davao City and Samal Island as part of the prosecution’s presentation of evidence on the alleged unexplained wealth under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.
Baldonado testified that Carpio purchased a 379-square-meter property in Barrio Matina, Davao City, for ₱6 million on July 2, 2024.
During direct examination by House prosecutor Jonathan Keith Flores, Baldonado said the property did not have a corresponding entry in Duterte’s 2025 SALN based on the price, location and mode of acquisition reflected in the land records.
“Base po sa record na hawak ko, wala po sa 2025 (SALN)– wala pong nagmatch sa presyo at sa lugar at ang mode of acquisition ang nakalagay po sa 2025 ay construction at dito po sa aming dokumento ay deed of sale,” Baldonado said.
The property was registered under Carpio’s name, with the title identifying him as married to Duterte. The same property was later mortgaged by Carpio and Duterte to Philippine Savings Bank for ₱8 million on August 27, 2024, according to the records presented in court.
The second property is located in Kembali Coast in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte. Pineda testified on records showing that Carpio acquired the property for ₱3,453,849 in March 2018, with the title registered in 2019 and identifying him as married to Duterte.
The prosecution compared the two property records with Duterte’s SALNs to determine whether the assets were properly declared.
Flores said the examination was intended to establish whether the properties reflected in government land records matched the assets declared by Duterte and her husband.
The prosecution described the records as showing a potential mismatch between the properties registered under Carpio’s name and the entries in Duterte’s SALNs.
Reports from RH Milky Rigonan
