Vice President Sara Duterte (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has formally asked the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to verify the civil registry records of 677 more individuals listed as recipients of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte.

Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua, committee chairman, sent a letter to National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa following revelations last week that "Mary Grace Piattos”--one of the signatories of acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP and DepEd to the Commission on Audit (COA)--did not appear in the PSA’s database.

Last Wednesday, PSA Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande also bared that their office found no records for another recipient of confidential fund, Kokoy Villamin. 

During the House panel hearings, it was revealed that Villamin’s handwriting and signatures varied across multiple ARs from both the OVP and DepEd. The findings on Villamin have not been officially submitted by the PSA to the panel.

The ARs were used to justify a total of P612.5 million in confidential fund expenditures—P500 million for the OVP spent from late 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, and P112.5 million for the DepEd in 2023.

The secret funds are central to the investigation of the Chua panel, also known as the House Blue Ribbon Committee, into allegations of fund mismanagement during Duterte’s leadership of both the OVP and DepEd.

“May we request for the verification of the Civil Registry Documents (birth, marriage, and death) of the names in the attached list relative to the investigation being conducted by the Committee,” Chua wrote in his letter dated Dec. 5.

The PSA had earlier issued a certification confirming the absence of birth, marriage, and death records for Piattos, which raised significant concerns about the authenticity of the listed beneficiaries and the legitimacy of the disbursements.

“This is deeply troubling. If Mary Grace Piattos doesn’t exist in official records, we have to question whether the other 677 names are legitimate or if they are part of a wider scheme to misuse funds,” Chua said.

He added that verifying these names was a critical step in assessing the validity of the ARs and ensuring accountability in the use of public funds.

“If even one peso was spent improperly, it is our responsibility to find out and hold those responsible to account,” underscored the Manila solon.

In the Philippines, "Mary Grace" is the name of a restaurant, while "Piattos" is a brand of potato chips.

Following these finding, Chua formally asked the PSA to verify the identities of the remaining 677 individuals listed in the ARs. 

Congressmen had earlier identified discrepancies in the signatures linked to this individual across various documents. This intensified concerns about possible forgery.

The committee aims to determine whether or not the names in the ARs belong to real individuals or were fabricated to justify fund disbursements.

“Ensuring the authenticity of these recipients is crucial for maintaining transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. We are committed to uncovering the truth behind these transactions,” Chua said.