La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V (left), Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun (PPAB)

Ranking solons believe that the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte is stronger than ever following the discovery of more seemingly fictitious and bogus names in the receipts linked to the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds use. 

Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V and Assistant Majority Leader Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun reckoned that the discovery of more names like the laughable "Mary Grace Piattos" as secret fund recipients expose a pattern of alleged financial mismanagement and lack of accountability. 

“Isa po siya sa pinakamalakas na mapi-prisenta pero hindi muna ako siguro magdu-dwell into specifics since gagamitin nga po siya during the impeachment [trial],” Ortega said during a virtual press conference Friday, March 7. 

(It's one of the strongest evidence that will be presented but I won't be dwelling into the specifics since this will be brought up during the impeachment trial.) 

Ortega said the repeated emergence of fabricated names after Mary Grace Piattos like ”Renan Piatos", “Pia Piatos", and even “Xiaome Ocho” reinforces the strength of the impeachment case. 

“It’s the same premise po nung sa Mary Grace Piattos, ganon din po kabilang po sila, ‘yung pamilya Piattos, si Renan, si Pia Piatos at tsaka si Xiaome. They are the same situation po ng mga pangalan po na wala naman pong pagkatao,” he said. 

(It's the same premise as Mary Grace Piattos, they're also included, the Piattos family, Renan, Pia Piatos, and Xiaome. They are in the same situation who have names but have no personality.) 

In the Philippines, "Mary Grace" is the name of a restaurant, while "Piattos" is a brand of potato chips. This has led to suspicions that the signed acknowledgement receipts (ARs) submitted that the OVP submitted to COA for liquidation purposes was baloney.  

Khonghun said that as the trial progresses, more details about the questionable fund disbursements will be brought to light. He said this would allow the public to grasp the magnitude of the alleged abuse. 

“Kita natin na talagang merong malawakang paglustay at maling paggamit ng pera lalong-lalo na ng confidential fund ng [OVP[,” Khonghun claimed. 

(We can see that there was really a widespread misuse of money especially the confidential funds of the OVP.) 

Khonghun expects the impeachment trial to reveal the full extent of how fictitious names were allegedly used to liquidate confidential funds, raising serious concerns over the OVP’s financial practices. 

“At dito lang napapatunayan na talagang hindi nila siguro pinag-ingatan ano ‘yung buong kanilang pagli-liquidate kaya nagmamadali silang humanap ano ng mga pangalan at talagang kung saan nila ipapangalan ‘yung kanilang mga perang inilalabas,” Khonghun added. 

(And only here can we prove that they probably rushed the liquidation and looked for names that the released funds could be attributed to.)