By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

Chair of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua formally sent a letter to National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa after revelations that “Mary Grace Piattos,” cited in acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the Department of Education (DepEd) to the Commission on Audit (COA), does not appear in the PSA’s database.

“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,” Chua wrote in his letter dated December 5 (Thursday).

The letter was a formal request addressed to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) by the House panel, urging the former to verify the civil registry records of 677 more individuals listed as recipients of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and DepEd under Vice President Sara Duterte.

Chief among these names queued for PSA verification is “Kokoy Villamin”, whom PSA Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande asserted on Wednesday (Dec. 4) does not have records in their office.

It was revealed during the Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing that Villamin’s handwriting and signatures varied across multiple ARs from both the OVP and DepEd. Reports for said person have not been officially submitted by the PSA to the panel.

The name ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ gained public attention during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings because of its resemblance to the names of a popular restaurant and of a snack brand, raising doubts about the name’s authenticity. PSA verification confirmed no records exist for anyone with that name.

“This is deeply troubling. If ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ doesn’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 added that verifying these names is a critical step in assessing the validity of the ARs and ensuring accountability in the use of public funds.

Digging deeper into the confidential funds saga

Mary Grace Piattos’ non-existence has led the Blue Ribbon Committee chair to enlist the PSA’s help in uncovering the truth behind other recipients of the secret funds, as lawmakers identified discrepancies in Piattos’ signatures across various documents which raises concerns about possible forgery.

The committee aims to determine whether the names in the ARs belong to real individuals or were fabricated to justify fund disbursements.

“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.

The PSA has been asked to expedite its verification process and submit both electronic and hard copies of the results to the committee.

The ARs were used to justify a total of P612.5 million in confidential fund expenditures—P500 million for the OVP spent from late 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, and P112.5 million for the DepEd in 2023.

The funds are central to the investigation by Chua’s panel, also known as the Blue Ribbon Committee, into allegations of fund mismanagement during Duterte’s leadership of both the OVP and DepEd. (with report from Mela Lesmoras/PTV News)

-iro