1,322 recipients of OVP confidential funds lack birth records – PSA

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MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,322 recipients of P500 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) have no birth records, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed in a statement on Sunday.

That’s about two-thirds of the 1,992 names submitted by the House committee on good government and public accountability for verification. The PSA said only 670 were identified as “most likely matched” with existing records.

The PSA added that 1,456 individuals lacked marriage records, with only 536 names showing possible matches in their database.

The PSA likewise noted that 1,593 individuals had no death records, with 399 having corresponding entries.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority

“The current batch of names under scrutiny appeared on acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP to the Commission on Audit to justify confidential fund expenditures from late 2022 to the third quarter of 2023,” the PSA said.

The House blue ribbon committee chair, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, said the PSA’s latest findings “provide strong evidence” that the ARs submitted to justify the OVP’s confidential fund spending were likely fabricated.

“These findings raise a critical question: 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,” Chua said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

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This verification comes after the PSA’s earlier findings on a separate P112.5-million confidential fund used by the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s term as secretary in 2023.

“Out of 677 names investigated in that case, 405 had no birth records, 445 lacked marriage certificates, and 508 had no death certificates,” the PSA explained.

The name “Mary Grace Piattos,” listed in DepEd receipts, sparked public skepticism after the PSA confirmed no such person exists in its civil registry database.