DATA from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that more than 400 individuals listed as recipients of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte have no birth records.
An additional 200 recipients were found to have duplicate names in the PSA records.
Rep. Joel Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, confirmed these findings in a media interview.
“Yesterday, the PSA released its findings regarding the 677 names we submitted. Out of the 677, more than 400 do not have birth records, and more than 200 have multiple names listed,” he said.
Chua had earlier requested PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa to verify the birth, marriage, and death records of individuals whose names appeared in the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP.
This came after the PSA found no records for individuals such as “Mary Grace Piattos” and “Kokoy Villamin,” whose names appeared on OVP receipts.
Vice President Duterte has denied any allegations of corruption and fund misuse, claiming the House investigation is politically motivated.
Chua also mentioned that the House panel plans to wrap up its investigation into Duterte’s alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, ahead of a potential impeachment process where the Vice President is expected to address these same allegations.
However, he noted that the hearings may continue to address other issues related to DepEd’s funds.
“We still have issues we want to look into, particularly concerning DepEd’s funds,” he said.
As a result of the investigation, Chua stated that the panel is drafting two bills: one to regulate special disbursing officers and impose penalties for misappropriation, and another to limit confidential funds for agencies unrelated to intelligence, national security, and peace and order.
Chua also pointed out that time constraints could pose challenges to an impeachment process.
“By February, the national election campaign will begin. By March, there will be local elections. During this holiday season, all congressmen are busy with their districts, so this makes it more challenging,” he explained.
