MEMBERS of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability have expressed serious concerns about the authenticity of receipts and documentary evidence submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to justify its spending of confidential funds.
The committee flagged several irregularities, including:
Widespread Typographical Errors: 158 acknowledgment receipts were dated 2023 despite covering transactions from 2022. While the OVP attributed this to clerical errors, Congressman Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez questioned the likelihood of such a widespread mistake, suggesting the receipts might have been prepared belatedly.
Missing Signatures: One acknowledgment receipt for a reward payment only contained a name in block letters, lacking any signature. This raised concerns about the potential for misuse of individuals’ names.
Repetitive Names and Purposes: Congressman Jefferson Khongun highlighted instances where the same individuals received multiple payments for different purposes, including information, rewards, supplies, and medical and food aid. He questioned the unusual repetition of names, suggesting a lack of proper documentation or potentially fabricated entries.
Similar Handwriting: Congressman Romeo Acop observed that acknowledgment receipts with different dates appeared to have been written by the same person using the same pen, further casting doubt on the authenticity of the documents.
These findings have prompted the committee to scrutinize the OVP’s use of confidential funds. The committee is seeking clarification on the discrepancies in the receipts and will continue to investigate the matter.
