DAVAO City Assessor Jaime Adalin confirmed traveling to China on Jan. 25, 2026, as senator-judges questioned his frequent overseas trips, including an alleged visit sponsored by the Chinese Consulate, and how he could afford such travel on a monthly salary of about P120,000.
During the 40th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, Senator-Judge Raffy Tulfo questioned Adalin about his reported travels to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia dating back to 2018.
“Where did you travel on Jan. 25, 2026?” Tulfo asked.
Adalin said he had asked his office to verify the information and confirmed that he had indeed traveled to China.
Tulfo also asked about Adalin’s alleged trip to China on Nov. 12, 2018. However, the witness said he could not recall having any record of that particular trip.
Tulfo said he could present CCTV footage showing Adalin allegedly boarding flight PR356 to China on that date. He also pointed out that the witness reportedly stayed in the country for only two days.
The senator-judge further cited Adalin’s reported trips to Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia, questioning how the city government official could frequently travel abroad on his salary.
“I’m not belittling you, but how much do you earn that you are always able to travel abroad?” Tulfo asked.
Adalin replied that a department head in the city government earns about P120,000 a month.
Earlier in the proceedings, prosecution counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. questioned Adalin about his alleged participation in an all-expenses-paid trip to China reportedly sponsored by the Chinese Consulate in November 2025.
Asked whether he was among the Davao City officials who joined the trip, Adalin replied, “I think that is irrelevant.” Pressed further on whether he had traveled to China around that period, Adalin responded, “maybe,” indicating uncertainty.
He later said he had no record of the trip and could not remember all the travels being mentioned. He also laughed during the exchange.
Tolosa explained that he was asking about the alleged trip to assess Adalin’s credibility, citing what he described as the witness’s evasiveness in answering questions.
Senator-Judge Erwin Tulfo then reminded Adalin that he was testifying under oath and could face contempt proceedings.
“Mr. Presiding Officer, this witness is making fools of us. Sir, may I remind you, you’re under oath,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo warned the witness against treating the proceedings as a joke.
“You’re making a joke of your testimony, and that’s not allowed. We can cite you in contempt. Just to remind you, sir. We’re serious here,” the senator-judge said.
Tulfo added that Adalin had yet to provide a clear answer about the alleged China trip, reminding him that giving false testimony under oath carries legal consequences.
Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros also questioned Adalin about his January 2026 trip to China, asking him to identify the places he visited and the people who accompanied him.
Adalin reiterated that he traveled to China around Jan. 25 with other Davao City government department heads and individuals. However, he said he could no longer remember the specific places they visited.
When Hontiveros asked him to name at least three destinations, Adalin apologized and maintained that he could not recall them.
Asked whether he had visited Beijing, he replied, “I think we may have gone there.” Hontiveros expressed disbelief over his inability to remember the places he had visited and admonished him for laughing during the exchange.
She later asked who had arranged their visit to Beijing and who had accompanied them on their return from Shanghai.
Adalin said he was certain he had traveled to China but could no longer remember who facilitated or guided the trip. He maintained that it was a personal visit.
Hontiveros questioned how Adalin could have arrived in Beijing and returned to Manila from Shanghai without remembering the details of his itinerary.
“Sir, if our travel authorities know that you arrived in Beijing and then returned to Manila from Shanghai, you must have [been there]. Unless you have a doppelganger here in the Philippines who traveled all the way to China,” she said.
The senator-judge also asked whether Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte had accompanied Adalin and other city officials, including the heads of the engineering and treasury departments, during their January trip to Beijing and Shanghai.
Adalin denied that the mayor had joined them.
