MANILA — The House prosecution on Tuesday said the defense of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte had failed to disprove evidence of her alleged undeclared properties, pointing to its second witness’ inability to confirm whether a disputed Samal property was included in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

House impeachment prosecution adviser and spokesperson Ace Barbers said the defense had yet to undermine the prosecution’s evidence despite presenting two city assessors as witnesses.

“Ang aking masasabi, sila ay consistent. Consistent sa punto na hindi pa rin nila nagigiba ang mga ebidensya at mga testimonya ng mga witnesses na nanggaling sa prosecution,” Barbers said at a press briefing.

During cross-examination by private prosecutor Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr., Island Garden City of Samal Assessor Engr. John Kenneth Enumerables said he could not establish whether a property registered under Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, was the same property declared in the vice president’s SALN.

The disputed property, covered by Transfer Certificate of Title No. 142-2019013134, is located in Barangay San Isidro, Kaputian, Samal. However, the SALN entry presented by the defense identified a property in Barangay Matanos, Kaputian. The records also contained differences in the acquisition year and purchase price.

Barbers said Enumerables failed to establish that the two sets of records referred to the same property.

“Very clear na hindi niya nasagot ang tanong ng prosecution kung ito bang property na pinag-uusapan na hindi idineklara ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa kanyang SALN ay the same property na sinasabi naman ng defense na dineklara,” he said.

“There are two sets of properties na hindi pareho. Ang isa ay hindi naideklara sa SALN ng ating pangalawang pangulo,” he added.

House prosecution spokesperson Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong also questioned the defense’s decision to present city assessors rather than Registry of Deeds officials to establish whether the disputed properties had been declared.

“If the defense intention really is to prove that the Vice President did not misdeclare or underdeclare some of her property, it should not be the city assessors ang pupunta dito at gawin nilang witness,” Alonto Adiong said.

He explained that city assessors are responsible for determining property values for taxation, while the Registry of Deeds keeps official records of land ownership.

“Ang dapat na mag-identify and mag-determine dapat ’yung Registry of Deeds. Bakit ’di nila ’yun ang prinisenta nila dito?” he asked.

Adiong said the prosecution had already presented Registry of Deeds officials to establish ownership of the properties under scrutiny.

He also emphasized that tax declarations do not, by themselves, establish ownership or prove that a property listed in a SALN corresponds to a particular land title.

“The real property in the tax declaration is not an indication of ownership,” he said.

The defense’s first witness, Davao City Assessor Engr. Jaime Adalin, testified Monday on another disputed property in Matina Crossing, Davao City.

The prosecution maintains that the two properties were not properly declared, while the defense insists they were disclosed in Duterte’s SALN.

The properties are among the assets being questioned under the prosecution’s remaining impeachment charge, which involves at least ₱817.87 million in alleged undeclared assets and unexplained wealth from 2022 to 2025.