More 'Mary Grace Piattos'? Over 1,300 recipients of OVP’s confidential funds lack records — PSA

MANILA, Philippines — More than 1,300 recipients who allegedly received confidential fund payments from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) lack records, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported. 

According to state statisticians, 1,322 individuals, or two-thirds of the recipients of the OVP’s P500 million confidential and intelligence funds have no marriage, death or birth records.

State statisticians also found that of the 1,992 names submitted, 1,456 individuals lacked marriage records, with only 536 showing possible matches. 

Likewise, 1,593 individuals had no recorded death certificates, while only 399 had corresponding records.

However, 670 names indicated “most likely matched” to existing records, according to the PSA. 

The numbers are revealed in a statement by House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Rep. Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd District) on Sunday, December 15, who requested the data from the PSA.

The list of names currently under review was included in acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP to the Commission on Audit as part of the justification for confidential fund expenditures from late 2022 to the third quarter of 2023.

On December 9, the PSA also reported that 60% of the 677 individuals who allegedly received secret fund payments from the Department of Education (DepEd), an agency that was formerly under Vice President Sara Duterte, have no records in their database.

Some receipts for the DepEd secret fund recipients were missing dates or had incorrect ones, displayed the same signature but different names, or were signed by the same person in different cities.

The House Committee is probing two agencies—the OVP and DepEd—over the alleged misuse of confidential funds, one currently and the other previously overseen by Duterte.

The funds in question are OVP's secret funds worth P500 million and DepEd's P112.5 million confidential funds.

The OVP has yet to respond to Philstar.com's request for comment on the issue.— with reports from Dominique Nicole Flores