ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'An insult': Adiong chides Padilla for aligning confidential fund-linked names with heroes' aliases

'An insult': Adiong chides Padilla for aligning confidential fund-linked names with heroes' aliases

Published Aug 27, 2026 10:54 am

At A Glance

  • Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong criticized Sen. Robin Padilla for comparing Filipino heroes' aliases with names allegedly linked to Sara Duterte's confidential funds.
  • Padilla cited historical figures who used aliases to protect their identities, including "Dimasalang", "Leon Kilat", and Ninoy Aquino's "Marcial Bonifacio".
  • Adiong said the comparison was misplaced, arguing that the heroes' sacrifices were the opposite of the alleged irregularities being investigated in Duterte's confidential funds.
Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (left), Senator Robin Padilla (Facebook)
Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (left), Senator Robin Padilla (Facebook)


Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong criticized his fellow Muslim lawmaker, Senator Robin Padilla, for mentioning the monikers of heroic Filipinos alongside fictitious-sounding names that allegedly received confidential funds from the impeached Vice President Sara Duterte.
“With due respect to my brother in faith and sitting senator, I think those national heroes whose aliases were referenced would be probably rolling, rolling in their graves,” Adiong said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 26.
“To put them on the equal footing as Mico Harina, as Andy Lim, as Ms. Ngitngit, is already, again, an insult to the sacrifices they have made for this country,” noted Adiong, a spokesperson for the House prosecution panel in Duterte’s ongoing Senate impeachment trial.
Adiong was responding to senator-judge Padilla's intejections during day 19 of the trial Wednesday, wherein he sounded off on the use of aliases in confidential fund-linked activities and invoked Filipino heroes and historical figures who had also used assumed names.
Perhaps the most infamous of these alleged bogus names found on acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by Duterte’s offices to the Commission on Audit (COA) is Mary Grace Piattos. The name is an amalgam of a popular café and a potato chips brand.
More absurd-sounding names were recently floated in the Senate impeachment trial as the prosecution further showcased its evidence on the alleged misuse of P612.5 million confidential funds by the respondent. 
The discussion took place--ironically enough--mere days away from the observance of National Heroes' Day (Aug. 31).
Padilla argued that aliases were important in protecting identities during confidential and dangerous operations, particularly during the Philippine revolution or times of war.
The former actor cited names such as “Dimasalang,” “Siling Labuyo,” “Maypag-asa,” “Magtalo” and “Leon Kilat”.
He also mentioned the late former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who used the alias “Marcial Bonifacio” when he returned to the Philippines from exile in 1983.
Senator-judge Bam Aquino confirmed that his uncle used the alias but stressed--in rebuke of Padilla--that the late senator had no confidential funds and was not among the names appearing in ARs under scrutiny in the impeachment trial.
Adiong, also an assistant majority leader, said the historical comparison was misplaced because the sacrifices of Filipino heroes were “diametrically opposite” to the alleged irregularities now being examined in Duterte’s confidential funds.
“And their death, the sacrifices they have made, kasi malapit na pong National Heroes Day, the sacrifices they have made, is actually diametrically opposite to the very practice of which these confidential funds were handled,” he said.
“So hindi po dapat ’yun ang analogy ang gamitin natin (So we shouldn't use that analogy),” he stressed.

Related Tags

National Heroes Day Hero confidential funds Sara Duterte impeachment Aliases Mary Grace Piattos Zia Alonto Adiong Robin Padilla
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ static_articles_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.