Daily TribuneThe names are fake, the liquidation is fake, and the accountability is fake’
(FILE PHOTO) Vice President Sara Duterte is not one to mince words, but she was found by House lawmakers to be elusive in her answers on the many questions thrown at her regarding her utilization of confidential funds.
PHOTOGRAPH BY YUMMIE DINGDING FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE @tribunephl_yumi
The list of dubious alleged recipients of confidential funds from the office of Vice President Sara Duterte now includes the names of “Dodong Gang,” “Jay Kamote” and “Miggy Mango,” a House leader disclosed Sunday.
The unusual names further fueled speculations that the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by Duterte’s offices (she also led the Department of Education for a while) were fabricated to justify the use of the funds.
One Mary Grace Piattos allegedly received the largest chunk of the OVP’s secret funds, but the new names — including those of Dodong Bunal, Dodong Darong and Dodong Barol — were equally eyebrow-raising.
According to House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V, the supposed beneficiaries have no birth, marriage, or death records with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Of the 1,992 supposed fund recipients, records showed that 1,322 had no birth records, 1,456 had no marriage records, and 1,593 had no death records.
“Now, fruits and sweet potatoes… This is not just negligence; this is a carefully planned embezzlement of public funds,” Ortega, an administration ally lamented.
“The names are fake, the liquidation is fake, and the accountability is fake,” the La Union lawmaker added.
The latest revelation, he said, strengthens the prosecution’s case against Duterte in her impeachment trial, which is expected to begin in the Senate in late July.
Duterte was impeached on 5 Feb. 2025, with 215 House lawmakers — more than double the required one-third votes (102 signatories) — voting to endorse the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
The House outlined seven articles of impeachment, most of which were anchored on Duterte’s alleged misappropriation of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education during her tenure as secretary.
Previous PSA findings showed that of the 1,992 supposed fund recipients, 1,322 had no birth records, 1,456 had no marriage records, and 1,593 had no death records.
Ortega asserted that the discovery of more fictitious names highlights the extent of the alleged fraud, reinforcing what he described as a “scam” involving fake beneficiaries used to justify the misuse of public funds.
The recent PSA report follows an earlier exposé revealing recipients such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Pia Piatos-Lim,” and “Renan Piatos,” whose surnames resemble a local brand of potato chips.
Another recipient, “Xiaome Ocho,” whose name bears similarities to a Chinese smartphone model, also appeared in the previous list of confidential fund beneficiaries.
State auditor Gloria Camora earlier confirmed to the House Blue Ribbon Committee, which has been investigating the use of confidential funds, that Duterte’s office submitted ARs that contained only signatures with no names, had unreadable names, or listed multiple recipients with the same name.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about the authenticity of the ARs, citing irregularities in the documents, which have further fueled suspicions of corruption and illegitimacy in the activities for which the funds were supposedly used.
Despite the serious allegations, Duterte has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, contending that the accusations are part of a political attack designed to derail her presidential ambitions for the 2028 elections.
