THE name “Mary Grace Piattos” — a figure that drew public attention during past budget hearings — is included in the list of witnesses the House of Representatives prosecution team plans to present in the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
This was confirmed in a pre‑trial brief obtained by GMA News Online, which states that Piattos will testify regarding the alleged receipt of confidential funds.
Piattos first came to public notice in 2024, when acknowledgment receipts submitted during a House inquiry on the budget of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education listed her as one of the recipients of confidential funds.
However, the Philippine Statistics Authority told the same investigation that it has no official records — including birth, death, or identification documents — under that name, raising questions about her identity. Other names appearing on the same receipts included Xiaomi Ocho, Kokoy Villamin, and Milky Secuya.
Prosecutors intend to present her testimony in support of Article 1 of the impeachment complaint, which accuses the Vice President of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust over the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds. Earlier in February, the Vice President’s legal team said they were prepared to explain the use of aliases in handling such funds, acknowledging that “Mary Grace Piattos” was among those used for this purpose.
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