MANILA, Philippines — House lawmakers remain unconvinced that a person named “Mary Grace Piattos” exists, resolving to offer a P1 million reward for anyone who can provide information about her identity.
Piattos is listed as one of the individuals who signed an acknowledgment receipt to justify the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential fund expenses.
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Rep. Jefferson Khonghun (Zambales, 1st District) announced on Monday, November 18, that the House Blue Ribbon Committee and Quad Committee will voluntarily offer P1 million to whoever can confirm Piattos' existence.
“So, we in the Blue Ribbon Committee and the Quad Committee have volunteered to provide P1 million to anyone who can give information about Mary Grace Piattos, at least to help them attend the hearing,” he said in Filipino at a press conference.
Meanwhile, Rep. Paolo Ortega V (La Union, 1st District) called on Vice President Sara Duterte to attend the next hearings to address allegations of irregularities in the use of confidential funds.
“It's about time they attend and explain these anomalies that are happening,” he said.
Duterte, however, already said on November 15 that she won’t be attending the sixth hearing scheduled for November 20 and insists that no funds were inappropriately spent. She said she would submit an affidavit on the confidential funds instead.
Where did Mary Grace Piattos come from?
The House Good Government and Public Accountability Committee has been investigating the alleged misuse of P500 million confidential funds spent by the OVP and P112.5 million spent by the Department of Education (DepEd) under Duterte.
After reviewing copies of the acknowledgment receipts from state auditors, lawmakers found typographical errors, such as incorrect or missing dates, and observed similarities in the handwriting and ink used to sign some documents.
Most of all, they question the existence of the individuals listed as recipients of payments related to the OVP’s confidential activities.
One of the names under suspicion is Mary Grace Piattos, as lawmakers believe it may be a combination of a Philippine-based café and a local brand of potato chips.
With these “red flags,” the committee is considering the possibility that the 158 acknowledgment receipts, totaling P23.8 million in confidential funds, may have been forged or rushed.
RELATED: House panel flags 158 'bogus' OVP receipts linked to confidential funds
What are acknowledgment receipts for? The Commission on Audit (COA) requires government agencies, especially those using confidential funds, to submit acknowledgment receipts as documentary evidence to verify the proper use and receipt of funds.
However, acknowledgment receipts, as criticized by lawmakers, are considered “vague” as they only include a person's name and signature, the amount of funds received and the date of receipt.
Piattos tied to largest fund disbursement?
Khonghun said it is important for those who signed the receipts to attend the hearings to validate the authenticity of payments made with the confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd.
“If Mary Grace Piattos does not exist, it's certain that almost everyone present will be fictitious,” Khonghun said in Filipino.
Asked if the P1 million reward also applies to information on other “fictitious” names, the lawmaker did not answer directly. Instead, he said that it was Piattos who received the largest amount of confidential funds, so the committee “wants to set an example” by inviting them to attend.
The amount, however, was not revealed during the good governance panel’s fourth hearing on November 5.
He also believes that this approach “helps” the vice president “avoid the allegations of corruption and anomalies” she is currently facing.
These inconsistencies in the acknowledgment receipts are just one of the findings revealed by the House Good Governance panel.
Other issues raised include the excessive rental and maintenance costs for 34 OVP safehouses and unaccounted funds for DepEd’s “youth leadership summits.”