Philippine Statistics Authority. INQUIRER FILE / STOCK IMAGE
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) should cross-check and verify the identities of those who signed the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) presented by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for confidential expenditures, La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V said on Wednesday.
In a statement, Ortega said the PSA’s discovery that Mary Grace Piattos — the name that appeared on some of OVP’s ARs — is not part of their live birth, marriage, and death registry merits a thorough view on the identities of other AR signatories.
“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),” Ortega said.
“Hindi puwedeng tumigil tayo sa isa lang (We cannot stop at just one case). 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,” Ortega pointed out.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives’ committee on good government and public accountability released certifications from PSA stating that the name “Mary Grace Piattos” has no record with them — in terms of birth, marriage, and death.
The PSA also said it could conduct a deeper search on the name and “ascertain whether [a] civil registry document is available in the database” if more information, such as the name of her parents, among others, can be provided.
READ: No record of a ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ – PSA
Then in an interview with Radyo 630 on Wednesday, Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande said that they also cannot find an entry for a Kokoy Villamin — another controversial identity who signed the AR for OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), back when Vice President Sara Duterte was still at the department’s helm.
Villamin’s name was seen on two confidential fund (CF) expense ARs — one for OVP and one for DepEd. However, the same person signed the ARs with different handwriting and signature styles.
READ: House probe: OVP, DepEd CFs received by same man, different signatures
Ortega believes the issues involving Piattos and Villamin are not mere isolated cases.
“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?” he asked.
“The certification from the PSA opens up a Pandora’s box of potential anomalies. If one name was falsified, it is not unreasonable to suspect that other receipts may also contain fictitious names,” he said. “Kung gawa-gawa si Mary Grace Piattos, ano pa ang totoo sa mga dokumentong ito? We need to ensure that every peso spent is accounted for and supported by truthful, verifiable records.”
(If Mary Grace Piattos is a fictitious personality, what else is true regarding these documents?)
Duterte and the OVP were placed on the hot seat after Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, during one of the past hearings of the House panel, noted that Mary Grace Piattos bears a first name similar to a coffee shop, and a last name that is a famous potato chip brand.
READ: OVP’s possible fake receipts bigger issue than ‘Piattos’ – Chua
However, good government committee chairperson and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said last November 19 the possibility that OVP fabricated the ARs is a bigger problem than Piattos.