The credibility of the third witness for Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team came under fire during a Senate Impeachment Court hearing on November 10.
Davao City official Vingelin Bajan faced intense questioning from senator-judges after evasive answers regarding her career history gave way to admissions of an 11-year overlap between her public employment and her partnership in an accounting firm linked to the Vice President and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio.
Bajan took the stand to counter allegations that Duterte received double compensation. However, private prosecutor Atty. Mae Divinagracia presented corporate records showing that Bajan was a partner at Ampil, Elises, Ciudadano and Co., CPAs when it registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2003.
After a prolonged hesitation, Bajan confessed:
“Yes.”
Conflict of Interest and Evasiveness
Further questioning by Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan revealed that the accounting firm shared the same physical address—Unit 6, Dakudao Building, Governor Duterte Street, Davao City—as several corporations linked to Carpio, including GenCorp Industries Inc., Metro City Chow Foods Corporation, Town Times Square B, City Hall King Chow Foods Corporation, and Great Jolly Times Food Corporation.
Pangilinan pointed out a significant conflict of interest: Bajan joined the Davao City Accounting Office as a regular employee in 2004 but remained a partner in the private firm until August 2015, just before she assumed the role of city chief accountant.
When asked if she declared this business interest in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), Bajan repeatedly flipped through documents, responding:
“I-check ko po kasi matagal na po.”
Bajan’s reluctance to confirm basic details—such as her Tax Identification Number and her own signature—sparked frustration among lawmakers. Presiding Officer and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero issued a stern warning:
“My patience is wearing thin. Forgive me. Kung naging bahagi ka ng isang accounting firm, mahirap naman po siguro makaligtaan niyon sa professional niyong karera.”
Senator Raffy Tulfo raised the possibility of citing Bajan in contempt, echoing the court’s frustration with previous defense witnesses. Addressing Bajan directly, Tulfo said:
“Kami, napipikon na. You’ve been very evasive to a very simple question. Patingin-tingin ka pa sa mga pages. All you need to do is tell the lawyer asking the question, ‘Yes, that’s my signature’ or ‘No, that’s not my signature.’”
Senator Joel Villanueva subsequently confronted Bajan with her own 2015 affidavit of withdrawal from the partnership, reading from the document:
“I resigned in the partnership effective August 1, 2015, for personal reasons. I am executing this affidavit to inform the SEC, that I am formally withdrawing as partner nito pong Ampil, Elises, Ciudadano and Co. CPAs.”
Villanueva added:
“Kaya para po sa amin na nakikinig, nakita po namin dito, ay naku po, sigurado po ako ito yung pirma ninyo. Tapos sasabihin nyo po, hindi nyo maalala, hindi nyo po alam, eh mahirap po kaming makumbinsi ng ganoon.”
Salary Differential and Alterations
During the hearing, Tulfo also scrutinized erasures on a 2023 disbursement voucher covering a salary differential given to Duterte for her tenure as Davao City mayor in 2020 and 2021. The prosecution argues that the payout violated the constitutional prohibition against double compensation for public officials.
“Kinorek niyo yung date ng voucher kasi alam niyo na bawal na siyang tumanggap ng double compensation as Vice President,” Tulfo told Bajan.
Bajan defended the alterations, explaining that her assistant corrected a mistaken entry and that Duterte was legally entitled to the differential under civil service law, with the payment processed in 2022 and disbursed in 2023.
Tulfo argued that the payout should have been delayed until after Duterte’s term to avoid constitutional scrutiny, maintaining that the voucher was intentionally altered:
“Gumawa kayo ng alteration kasi alam niyong bawal.”