THE Senate impeachment court on Tuesday warned witnesses in Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s trial that they could face contempt sanctions and perjury charges after a senator-judge accused a defense witness of making a mockery of the proceedings.
Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson raised concerns over the conduct of Davao City Assessor Engr. Jaime Adalin, who testified Monday about a property linked to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
“Yesterday was not a good day for the impeachment court, Mr. President, Mr. Presiding Officer, simply because we had a witness who smirked, who laughed, almost made a mockery of the impeachment trial,” Lacson said.
“And we don’t want to have a repeat of that kind of testimony,” he added.
Lacson made the remarks after Senator-Judge Vicente “Tito” Sotto III asked Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero to remind witnesses and both legal panels of the consequences of lying under oath.
“Is it not we have penalties and sanctions against those who lie before the impeachment court?” Sotto asked.
Escudero confirmed that witnesses could be cited for contempt and face separate perjury complaints before the proper authorities.
“Because the statements given by any witness are under oath and are therefore covered by our laws on perjury as well,” Escudero said.
Lacson cited Resolution No. 39, adopted in March 2011, which he said expressly granted the impeachment court the power to cite individuals for contempt.
“This is not an implied power of the impeachment court, Mr. Presiding Officer, but an express power granted by such resolution,” Lacson said.
Adalin, the first witness presented by Duterte’s defense, faced intense questioning Monday over property records and his trip to China, details of which he initially struggled to recall.
The defense presented Adalin to establish that a property in Matina Crossing, Davao City, had been properly declared in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
The House prosecution has accused Duterte of accumulating at least P817.87 million in undeclared assets and unexplained wealth from 2022 to 2025.
The vice president is facing one remaining impeachment charge involving alleged unexplained wealth.
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