The House good government and public accountability panel has called on the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to confirm the identities of 677 individuals connected to Vice President Sara Duterte’s use of confidential funds.
These individuals allegedly received payouts, as shown in acknowledgment receipts submitted during the inquiry. Panel chairperson Joel Chua stressed the importance of verifying these recipients to uphold transparency and accountability in public spending.
The panel is requesting the PSA to check civil registry documents, including birth and marriage records, after the agency revealed that Mary Grace Piattos, a signatory in the receipts, was not listed in their database.
The ongoing inquiry has uncovered issues with acknowledgment receipts submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) for 2022 and 2023. These include errors such as incorrect dates, unnamed or illegible signatories, and questionable justifications for fund use.
It was also revealed that the OVP spent ₱16 million of its ₱125 million confidential fund in 2022 on safehouses and that certifications from military officials were used to justify expenses without the personnel’s consent.
Vice President Duterte denies misusing public funds, asserting that the probe is politically motivated, aimed at laying grounds for an impeachment bid against her. Two impeachment complaints have already been filed in the House of Representatives.
