MORE questionable or possibly fictitious names linked to confidential fund spending may be exposed as a Commission on Audit (COA) witness takes the stand in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a House leader said Sunday.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union said the prosecution’s next witness—expected to testify on the audit of confidential funds—could reveal additional names similar to those that have already drawn public attention.
“Well, hindi natin maikakaila na siya yung pinakasikat talaga, si Mary Grace Piatos, pero baka nandyan na rin po sila, susunod na rin po sila Chippy McDonald, sila Miggy Mango. Abangan po natin kasi may mga diskarte naman po dyan yung ating prosecutors. I’m sure mag-discuss po yan,” Ortega said in a radio interview.
The prosecution currently has COA-Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office supervising state auditor Xylene Mae del Campo on the witness stand to testify on her findings on the confidential funds use of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education.
Her testimony is expected to focus on COA audit findings, including how confidential funds were liquidated and whether the listed recipients in acknowledgment receipts can be verified.
“Tuloy po yun, tuloy po yung nakalinya po dun sa pag-presenta ng ating witness,” Ortega added, referring to the scheduled continuation of the trial.
The issue of questionable names first gained attention after receipts submitted for confidential fund liquidation listed individuals such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” which state records later failed to verify.
Other names flagged in previous investigations include “Milky Secuya,” “Kokoy Villamin,” and “Xiaomi Ocho,” among others, which also could not be matched with official records.
These names appeared in acknowledgment receipts submitted to justify the use of confidential funds by the OVP and the DepEd, which together accounted for over P600 million in such funds during Duterte’s tenure.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), out of 1,992 names submitted for verification from a ₱500-million confidential fund allocation to the OVP, 1,322 individuals (about two-thirds) had no birth records in the PSA database while only 670 were considered likely matches.
Likewise, the PSA reported that out of 677 names scrutinized from the DepEd’s ₱112.5-million confidential fund during Vice President Sara Duterte’s tenure as Secretary, 405 individuals had no birth records.
Under government auditing rules, public funds must be supported by proper documentation, including verifiable identities of recipients. When names cannot be confirmed, auditors may question or disallow the transactions.
Ortega said the prosecution is expected to use the COA witness’ testimony to show whether the funds were properly documented and to identify who actually received the money.
“Mainam po na makita talaga kung saan po talaga pumunta yung pera at kung may nakatanggap po ng pera,” he said.
The Senate impeachment court is set to hear the COA auditor’s testimony as part of the prosecution’s continuing effort to trace the use of confidential funds and verify the identities listed in official records.
metrosundaily
