HOUSE impeachment prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has raised concerns that two defense witnesses of Vice President Sara Duterte may be under pressure because they remain employed by the Davao City government led by her brother, Mayor Sebastian Duterte.
Ridon said City Assessor Jaime Adalin and City Accountant Vingelin Bajan had much at stake when they testified before the Senate impeachment court, especially after senator-judges questioned their credibility over their repeated evasive answers.
“There’s so much to lose in making a mistake in their testimonies,” Ridon said during a post-trial press briefing.
He noted that both witnesses remain employees of the Duterte-led city government, raising concerns about the possible impact of their testimonies on their careers.
Adalin faced questions over his initial failure to recall a trip to China, while Bajan struggled to confirm her signature on documents involving an accounting firm where she had previously been a partner.
Several senator-judges warned the witnesses against giving evasive answers. Bajan was even threatened with a possible contempt citation.
However, Ridon clarified that he was not accusing the defense of deliberately selecting Davao City officials as part of a scheme to influence their testimonies.
Prosecution legal spokesperson and private prosecutor Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. also said there was no basis to claim that the defense had improper motives in choosing the two witnesses.
Tolosa explained that Adalin was presented to discuss records involving a disputed Davao property, while Bajan was called to explain financial documents issued by the city government.
He stressed that the senator-judges would ultimately determine the credibility of the defense witnesses, as well as those presented by the prosecution.
The Senate impeachment court is hearing Duterte’s defense against the remaining impeachment charge involving alleged unexplained wealth.
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