At least two lawmakers have raised concerns about “systematic fraud” in the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP), following findings by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA’s verification revealed that over 1,300 individuals, including the widely known “Mary Grace Piattos,” listed as recipients of OVP confidential funds, do not have birth records in their system.
House Assistant Majority Leader Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales expressed concern over what he described as a clear indication of fraud. “We can see that there is systematic fraud happening with the misuse of confidential funds.
“This means they doctored their acknowledgment receipts. An investigation is needed, and this must be forwarded to the proper government agencies so that those responsible can be held accountable,” Khonghun said.
His colleague, House Assistant Majority Leader Jude Acidre of TINGOG Party List, emphasized the scale of the operation. “To come up with over 1,000 fake names is a massive operation. This shows an intentional attempt to deceive the public and misuse confidential funds. It’s likely that these fake names were created to hastily close out liquidation requirements,” Acidre stated.
The PSA’s findings are particularly alarming, as the number of alleged fake recipients represents nearly two-thirds of the total individuals listed to have received portions of the OVP’s P500-million confidential funds.
House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega of La Union also pointed out that the issue has expanded beyond the high-profile case of Piattos.
“The findings are still being confirmed, but many of the names in question are not real. While the case of Mary Grace Piattos drew attention, we now know there are over 1,000 others involved,” Ortega remarked. The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which is investigating the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), is expected to recommend legal action against officials linked to these irregularities.
“There are recommendations from the committee to file cases with the law enforcement agencies to hold people accountable for the improper use of confidential funds. This needs to stop,” Khonghun emphasized.
He further asserted that no one, regardless of their position, should be exempt from accountability.
“Whoever is found at fault should be held accountable under the law. This includes officials as high-ranking as the Vice President and disbursement officers. Anyone involved in the misuse of confidential funds at the OVP and DepEd should be prosecuted,” Khonghun added.
Despite these developments, Vice President Sara Duterte has repeatedly denied any misuse of funds in her office. Last month, she clarified that not all receipts and auditing documents pass through her office, suggesting the irregularities might have occurred without her direct involvement.
