Out of 1,992 purported recipients of the contentious P500-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2023, nearly two-thirds, or 1,322 individuals, have no proof of birth, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The findings were disclosed by the PSA in a report dated 11 December, but which was made public only on Sunday.
The PSA’s report revealed that 1,322 individuals yielded negative birth records in its database, with 670 showing “most likely matched” entries.
Additionally, 1,456 lacked marriage records, with only 536 showing potential matches, while 1,593 had no death records, with just 399 corresponding entries found.
The investigation was prompted by a prior finding that “Mary Grace Piattos,” the alleged largest recipient of the OVP’s confidential funds in 2022, had no records of birth, marriage, or death in the PSA’s archives.
Further discrepancies were identified in acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the Department of Education (DepEd) under Sara Duterte’s tenure as secretary. Of 677 names examined, 405 lacked birth records, 445 had no marriage certificates, and 508 had no death certificates.
House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chairperson Joel Chua said on Sunday that the PSA’s findings reinforce suspicions that the ARs were fabricated to justify disbursements from the confidential funds.
‘Manufactured names’
“This certification from the PSA leaves little doubt: If these names cannot be found in the civil registry, it strongly suggests they do not exist. The ARs may have been manufactured to justify the disbursement of confidential funds,” Chua said Sunday.
He added, “If the recipients don’t exist, where did the money go? This is not just a clerical error; this points to a deliberate effort to misuse public funds.”
Lawmakers have raised concerns over irregularities in the ARs, including identical ink signatures, incorrect dates, missing names and spurious entries.
Notable examples include Piattos, whose name resembles a local café and a brand of potato chips, and “Kokoy Villamin,” whose signatures were inconsistent across multiple ARs.
Other flagged names were those of “Milky Secuya,” with identical pen and ink signatures on two ARs dated the same day, and “Sally Rendon” and “Sheila Dado,” whose signatures appeared identical despite differing names.
Vice President Sara Duterte, who has been under intense scrutiny over the alleged irregularities in the use of ₱650 million in confidential funds by the OVP and DepEd in 2022 and 2023, has denied any wrongdoing.
She called the ongoing House probe politically motivated, accusing critics of attempting to discredit her ahead of elections.
The controversy has already led to the filing of two impeachment complaints against Duterte, accusing her of betrayal of public trust. Another impeachment complaint is expected this week, with Congress entering its last three session days before the month-long holiday break.
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