Davao City accountant, a defense witness, was partner in firm that audited Duterte-linked firms

Davao City's incumbent city accountant, testifying for the defense in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, confirmed on Tuesday that she was once a partner in an accounting firm that served as external auditor for three companies linked to the Duterte family, according to the Daily Tribune.

Vingelin Bajan said she joined Ampil, Elis, Shudadano and Co. when it was registered in 2003, putting in P1,000 as her capital share. The firm later audited GenCorp Industries Inc., Metro City Chow Foods Corp. and Great Jolly Times Food Corp., companies whose ties to the Duterte family have come under scrutiny as the trial examines the Vice President's wealth and financial interests.

Documents presented by the prosecution during cross-examination showed Bajan remained a partner until 2015, when the articles of partnership were amended to remove her name. That period overlapped with her job-order engagement with the Davao City government from 2001 to 2004. Bajan argued that the job-order arrangement did not create an employer-employee relationship with the city. She denied recommending the firm for its audit work with the Duterte-linked companies.

Asked by senator-judge Bam Aquino whether she received a salary or other compensation from the firm, Bajan initially said she could not remember, but later acknowledged receiving allowances from the partnership. She also had trouble at first recalling the partnership records and identifying her signature, before confirming that both the signature and the taxpayer identification number on the documents were hers.

Her responses prompted repeated interventions from the bench. Presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero questioned why an accountant could not readily recall her own business affiliation. "Please, my patience is wearing thin," Escudero said. Aquino said her manner of answering suggested she was holding back information. Bajan apologized, saying the records in question were more than a decade old.

The defense had called Bajan to authenticate payroll documents, vouchers and other records on a P64,194.72 payment made to Duterte in 2023. The defense maintains the amount covered salary differentials and was not unauthorized double compensation while Duterte was serving as Vice President.

Bajan is the third defense witness under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which covers allegations of unexplained wealth, incomplete disclosure of assets and liabilities, and business interests prohibited by the Constitution. It is the only charge left after prosecutors withdrew three other articles in October involving confidential funds, bribery and grave threats.