La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega  V (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)

Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V has cited the need for authorities to cross-check all of the names listed on the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to the Commission on Audit (COA).

This, after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) heavily suggested that one of the AR signatories--Mary Grace Piattos--was a made-up person. 

"Hindi puwedeng tumigil tayo sa isa lang (We can't just stop with one). The PSA’s findings should serve as a springboard to conduct a deeper investigation. The Filipino people deserve transparency and accountability, especially in the use of public funds," Ortega said.

Piattos is just one of many alleged sigantories-slash-fund recipients cited in OVP liquidation documents, which are under scrutiny by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

“The revelation that Mary Grace Piattos is a fictitious identity raises serious red flags. The PSA must immediately audit and verify all the names appearing in the ARs submitted by the OVP to the [COA],” pointed out the Ilokano.

The PSA certification confirmed that no birth, marriage, or death records exist for Piattos.

Her name appeared on the ARs submitted to COA to justify expenses from the OVP’s ₱500-million confidential funds, disbursed across four quarters from late 2022 to 2023.

Ortega warned that the use of a fabricated identity in official documents could point to systemic fraud.

“This isn’t just an isolated case. If a fabricated name was used to justify millions of pesos in spending, it undermines the integrity of public accountability. It also raises the question: how many more fake names might be buried in those ARs?” he asked.

"Mary Grace Piattos" trended in social media after netizens pointed out that it’s an amalgamation of the name of a Filipino restaurant chain and a potato chips brand. 

Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre and Bataan 1st district Rep. Geraldine Roman had earlier warned of a possible scheme to falsify financial records within the OVP under Vice President Duterte.

Both lawmakers said the discovery of Piattos as a fabricated entity might be just the “tip of the iceberg".

Echoing their concerns, Ortega said, “The certification from the PSA opens up a Pandora’s box of potential anomalies.”

“If one name was falsified, it is not unreasonable to suspect that other receipts may also contain fictitious names,” he added.