By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Following earlier remarks from Assistant Majority Leader and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre and Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman about a possible falsification of financial records within the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Vice President Sara Duterte, a lawmaker encouraged the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to look into the names listed in the acknowledgment receipts (AR) after a supposed recipient was found to be fictitious.
“The revelation that Mary Grace Piattos is a fictitious identity raises serious red flags. The PSA must immediately audit and verify all the names appearing in the ARs submitted by the OVP to the Commission on Audit (COA),” Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V said in a statement on Wednesday.
The PSA certification confirmed that no birth, marriage, or death records exist for Piattos. Her name appeared in the ARs submitted to COA to justify expenses from the OVP’s ₱500-million confidential funds, disbursed across four quarters from late 2022 to 2023.
Echoing previous concerns from fellow lawmakers, Ortega warned that the use of a fabricated identity in official documents could point to systemic fraud.
“This isn’t just an isolated case. If a fabricated name was used to justify millions of pesos in spending, it undermines the integrity of public accountability. It also raises the question: how many more fake names might be buried in those ARs?” the La Union representative pointed out, aiming to uncover the potential breadth of the irregularities.
“Hindi puwedeng tumigil tayo sa isa lang. The PSA’s findings should serve as a springboard to conduct a deeper investigation. The Filipino people deserve transparency and accountability, especially in the use of public funds,” he added further. (with report from Mela Lesmoras/PTV News)
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