Nelson Morales

Alleged OVP fund recipient ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ lacks birth record: PSA

Shoppers head to Carriedo Street in Manila on December 23 for some last minute shopping as Christmas fast approaches. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jamaine Punzalan

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KNRI48Y8P-c?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE)</strong> — “Mary Grace Piattos”, an alleged recipient of confidential funds from Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, lacks any birth record, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Tuesday.</p><p>PSA’s certification states that verification from its Civil Registry System database showed “negative record” of birth, marriage, and death for “Mary Grace Piattos”. It was signed by National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa, and received by the committee secretariat on Monday at 4:32 p.m.</p><p>The name “Mary Grace Piattos” appeared in at least one of the acknowledgment receipts (AR) supposedly submitted by the OVP to the Commission on Audit to justify its 2022 confidential expenses.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17331919385221733191934164.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><p>The PSA said it could search further for a civil registry document if it receives additional information like the name of Mary Grace Piattos&#x27; parents.</p><p>Some lawmakers said on Tuesday that the results of PSA’s verification prove their suspicion.</p><p>“Finally na-clear na rin na wala talagang ganoong tao. Ano ang ipinapakita nito? Na ang mga opisyal sa Office of the Vice President, led by no other than Sara Duterte ay nag-imbento ng mga resibo para ma-depensahan ‘yung hindi tamang paggamit ng confidential funds. Ngayon mayroon na talagang konkretong patunay na hindi ginamit ng tama ang pera ng bayan. (10:45AM) Lalu itong magiging batayan para i-seek natin…ang pagpapanagot din doon sa mga nasa Office of the Vice President,” Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel said.</p><p>“Kung non-existent si Mary Grace Piattos I guess obvious na ang implications nito. There’s fraud and falsification. (JC) Very chichirya!” Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman added.</p><p>“May umasa bang totoong tao si Mary Grace Piattos? Kaya nga malakas ang loob ng ilan na mag-ambag sa reward para lumutang si Mary Grace Piattos, kasi hindi siya totoong tao. Mary Grace Piattos is, but a sample of the fictitious names among the apparently forged acknowledgment receipts prepared by the cohorts and co-conspirators,” Manila 2nd District Representative Rolando Valeriano said in a statement.</p><p>For House Assistant Majority Leader and TINGOG Party List Representative Jude Acidre, other acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP to the COA should also be scrutinized.</p><p>“Kung may kamalian sa isa, siguro it gives us reason to also anticipate na baka spurious din ang iba. At kung spurious ito at a large scale, baka umabot tayo sa technical malversation,” he said.</p><p>At a recent House hearing, a special disbursing officer of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) claimed that the surname &quot;Piattos&quot; actually exists in Davao City.</p><p>Duterte has denied allegations of corruption and fund misuse, saying that the House investigation was part of political persecution.</p><p>In late November, she refused to comment on “Mary Grace Piattos”, saying she had not seen the receipt where the name supposedly appeared.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/20/sara-duterte-says-she-has-not-yet-seen-ovp-receipts-for-mary-grace-piattos-1814" target="_blank" title="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/20/sara-duterte-says-she-has-not-yet-seen-ovp-receipts-for-mary-grace-piattos-1814">&#x27;No comment&#x27;: Sara Duterte says she has not yet seen OVP receipts for &#x27;Mary Grace Piattos&#x27;</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ippoW14LGxU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Several lawmakers earlier <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/18/where-s-mary-grace-piattos-solons-offer-p1m-to-find-person-in-ovp-confidential-funds-receipts-1328">offered to give P1 million in reward</a> money for anyone who could help identify and lead to &quot;Mary Grace Piattos,” as they suspected that the AR was “bogus”, and the signee a “fictitious” entity possibly named after a restaurant and a snack.</p><p>Last year, Rep. Stella Quimbo revealed the OVP spent its P125-million confidential funds for 2022 in just 11 days.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/2/coa-ovp-spent-p375-m-in-confidential-expenses-in-2023-2018">COA: OVP spent P375 million in ‘confidential expenses’ in 2023</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R_3KsBbDrVE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>“Mary Grace Piattos”, an alleged recipient of confidential funds from Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, lacks any birth record, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Tuesday.</p>

“Mary Grace Piattos”, an alleged recipient of confidential funds from Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, lacks any birth record, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Tuesday.