Davao City accountant Bajan admits going to China in December 2025

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Davao City accountant Vingelin Bajan, a witness presented by the defense in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, confirmed Tuesday that she was one of the local officials who traveled to China late last year.

Bajan confirmed this during her cross examination by private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia on the 41st day of the trial.

"First week po ng December (It was on the first week of December)," the witness said.

Divinagracia then asked her if the galunggong from China tastes better.

"Mas mura po (It's cheaper)," Bajan answered.

The private prosecutor also asked Bajan if she knew that other Davao City officials also went to China in January this year.

"Hindi ko po alam kasi 'yung akin lang po ang alam ko," the witness said.

(I don't know, because I only know about my own trip.)

However, she clarified that the trip to China with her friends was "personal" and was arranged as a "reward" for herself and her companions.

"Kami po [nagbayad], Your Honor. Parang every ano kasi… parang reward sa amin po. Nagbiyahe po kami," Bajan said, during the interjection of Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros.

(We paid for it ourselves, Your Honor. It was sort of a reward for ourselves, so we went on a trip.)

"Rewards po sa sarili po namin po. Parang sa ka-busy busy po ng trabaho at isa po sa bucket list ko po ang makita ko po yung Shanghai at Beijing," she added.

(It was a reward for ourselves. Given how busy work has been and visiting Shanghai and Beijing was actually on my bucket list.)

Bajan also said nobody invited their group to go to China and they only arranged their itinerary themselves.

Hontiveros then asked the witness to submit to the impeachment court a copy of her travel authority to China.

On Monday, Davao City assessor Engineer Jaime Adalin, the first witness presented by the defense, was grilled by the prosecution and some senator-judges about his travel to China.

During his cross-examination, Adalin said he could not remember details of the trip, but he later admitted going to China in January 2026 for "personal" travel, following repeated questions by senator-judges. — VDV, GMA News