December 7, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Aside from “Mary Grace Piattos,” 677 names on the list of recipients of the confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte would have to be verified by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The committee on good government and public accountability of the House of Representatives revealed yesterday that it had requested from the PSA “an electronic copy and hard copy of the verification” of identities of the 677 names listed as beneficiaries of the P612.5-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education when Duterte was DepEd chief.
The committee is investigating the alleged misuse of the OVP’s P500-million confidential funds and DepEd’s P112.5 million.
“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,” Manila Rep. Joel Chua, committee chairman, said in a letter to PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician and Civil Registry General Dennis Mapa.
The committee’s request came on the heels of PSA’s revelation that the name Mary Grace Piattos on the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP and the DepEd to the Commission on Audit (COA) has no record of birth, marriage or death in PSA’s Civil Registry records.
With PSA’s revelation, lawmakers said they are worried the 677 names were just “inventions” of the OVP and DepEd.
“This is deeply troubling. If these two names don’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 said the verification process is a critical step toward determining the validity of the ARs and ensuring accountability in the use of public funds.
“If even one was spent improperly, it is our responsibility to find out and hold those responsible to account,” Chua said.
The name “Mary Grace Piattos” appears to have been derived from the names of a restaurant and a popular snack brand.
Documents from COA and testimonies from resource persons at committee hearings bared discrepancies in details in ARs submitted by the OVP and the DepEd.
“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.
Meanwhile, the House quad committee has allowed businessman Tony Yang – brother of Michael Yang, the economic adviser of former president Rodrigo Duterte – to undergo medical check-up and treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Metro Manila after complaining of back discomfort, his legal counsel Raymond Fortun said yesterday.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, Fortun said that Yang was brought to an undisclosed hospital Thursday night after getting authorization from the quad comm.
Yang has been in detention since late September at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission facility after being cited in contempt by quad comm for lying about his connections to Chinese businessmen Allan Lim and Ricky Go, who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs in the Philippines.
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