Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on November 25, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173346525245520241125-duterte-sara-hor-hearing-MT-6.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on November 25, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A House panel on Friday asked the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to verify the identities of almost 700 other alleged recipients of confidential funds from offices led by Vice President Sara Duterte.  </p><p>In a statement, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability said it submitted additional 677 names for the PSA to verify after it found that &quot;Mary Grace Piattos,&quot; an alleged beneficiary of confidential fund from Duterte&#x27;s office, had no birth record. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/3/alleged-ovp-fund-recipient-mary-grace-piattos-lacks-birth-record-psa-1000">Alleged OVP fund recipient ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ lacks birth record: PSA</a></div><p>“May we request for the verification of the Civil Registry Documents (birth, marriage, and death) of the names in the attached list relative to the investigation being conducted by the Committee,” panel chair Manila Rep. Joel Chua wrote in his letter dated December 5.</p><p>The acknowledgement receipts were used to justify a total of P612.5 million in confidential fund expenditures in the offices currently and previously helmed by Duterte: P500 million for the Office of the Vice President spent from late 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, and P112.5 million for the Department of Education in 2023.</p><p>Chua said the verification process was a &quot;critical step&quot; in determining the validity of the ARs.</p><p>&quot;This is deeply troubling... We have to question whether the other 677 names are legitimate or if they are part of a wider scheme to misuse funds,” Chua said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/2/-emb-vp-sara-duterte-faces-impeachment-complaint-1518">VP Sara Duterte faces impeachment complaint</a></div><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/nation/2024/12/4/vp-sara-duterte-faces-second-impeachment-complaint-1532">VP Sara Duterte faces second impeachment complaint</a></div><p>Duterte is facing 2 impeachment complaints at the House of Representatives.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></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/KNRI48Y8P-c?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Rep. Joel Chua said the verification process is a "critical step" in determining the validity of the ARs.</p>

Rep. Joel Chua said the verification process is a "critical step" in determining the validity of the ARs.

House panel asks PSA to verify 677 other 'recipients' of OVP confidential funds

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House panel asks PSA to verify 677 other 'recipients' of OVP confidential funds

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 06, 2024 02:18 PM PHT

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Updated December 06, 2024 04:24 PM PHT

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