Another “Piatos” has emerged among the purported recipients of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds, along with names resembling those of prominent politicians, as prosecutors questioned why state auditors did not verify the identities listed in thousands of receipts.

An acknowledgment receipt submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to the Commission on Audit (CoA) showed “Pia Piatos-Lim” receiving P140,000 for the “purchase of information,” according to testimony before the Senate impeachment court.

The name echoes “Mary Grace Piattos,” whose identity became a focus of earlier congressional investigations. Tuesday’s proceedings, however, did not establish that Pia Piatos-Lim was fictitious or connected to Mary Grace Piattos.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan presented the receipt to CoA Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office auditor Xylene del Campo as she reviewed some of the 1,049 acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP for its confidential expenses in the first and second quarters of 2023.

Del Campo said the audit office only checked compliance with government rules and did not verify whether every person named in the receipts actually existed.

“We only check if the liquidation documents are compliant with the joint circular,” Del Campo said.

Kapunan also presented receipts bearing names such as Ralph Josh Bacon, Anne Ongpauco and Heart Santiago. Bacon was listed as receiving P150,000 and Ongpauco P50,000, both for the purchase of information. Santiago was listed as receiving P250,000 for supplies, materials and equipment for confidential operations.

Kapunan asked whether Ongpauco and Santiago had been checked for possible links to Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero, whose wife is actress Heart Evangelista, whose real name is Love Marie Payawal Ongpauco-Escudero.

Del Campo said she had not made such verification, as it was outside the scope of the compliance audit. She said the P250,000 payment to Santiago was allowed under the joint circular but was deficient because the acknowledgment receipt lacked a sales invoice or other purchase documents.

Other receipts carried surnames resembling those of politicians, including Beth Revilla, Clarisse Hontiveros, Dianne Maple Lapid and John Lapid. Kapunan also asked whether Jose Diokno Jr., who received P120,000, was related to House prosecutor Jose “Chel” Diokno.