VP Sara Duterte composite image from Inquirer stock and House of Representatives of the Philippines photos
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have raised a P1-million reward for anyone who can tell the whereabouts of a certain Mary Grace Piattos, whose name appears in acknowledgment receipts made by Vice President Sara Duterte鈥檚 office.
During a press briefing on Monday, Zambales 1st District Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said members of the House committee on good government and accountability and the quad panel decided to raise a cash reward so that they can start drafting the committee report.
鈥淲e already want the investigation of the blue ribbon committee to end so we can file our committee report.聽 In all honesty, because we want the committee hearings to finish, we in the blue ribbon committee and the quad comm, we give importance to requests for resource persons to attend the hearing,鈥� he said in Filipino.
鈥淓specially those who signed acknowledgment receipts.聽 So we lawmakers talked and voluntarily raised a P1-million reward to anyone who could say or give information as to who Mary Grace Piattos is,鈥� he added.
For La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega, the House has been fair in tackling issues involving the Office of the Vice President (OVP) while being lenient on resource persons not showing up before the committee on public accountability and good governance.
鈥淭here are so many investigations already. We鈥檝e been lenient enough, we have given out invitations, there are orders to the resource persons, so we are waiting for them. We鈥檝e shown that the House has been fair and the committee has been doing its job with all, all kinds of diligence and respect have been provided,鈥� he said in Filipino.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 about time na (that) they attend and explain what are these anomalies about,鈥� he added.
Piattos has not shown up at the House hearings, but she was the signatory of several acknowledgment receipts (ARs) for the OVP鈥檚 expenditures, particularly involving confidential fund usage.
It was Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop who pointed out to the Commission on Audit (COA) that several of the ARs were signed by a certain Mary Grace Piattos.
During the panel鈥檚 hearing last November 5, Acop expressed doubts if Mary Grace Piattos is a legitimate identity as the signatory鈥檚 first name is similar to a coffee shop while her last name is a famous potato chip brand.
The ARs signed off by Piattos were part of the liquidation reports discussed during the same hearing, referring to the P23.8-million confidential funds covered by 158 receipts.
The committee has been investigating alleged fund misuse at the OVP and the Department of Education under Duterte, including the supposed irregularities in confidential fund expenditures.
The COA issued a notice of disallowance on P73.2 million of the OVP鈥檚 P125-million confidential fund for 2022 鈥� an item which several lawmakers said should not be available in the first place, as the original budget crafted during the time of former Vice President Leni Robredo did not have this item.
搁贰础顿:听Sara聽Duterte鈥檚 confidential fund spending raises new, more doubts聽
The observations have led the committee to check on the issues on the OVP鈥檚 budget utilization.
There are other individuals linked to OVP transactions who have yet to appear before the committee.聽 Last November 11, the House panel cited for contempt the following OVP officials who had not attended the hearing, despite numerous invitations:
- Lemuel Ordonio
- Gina Acosta
- Sunshine Fajarda
- Edward Fajarda
Committee members believe the individuals cited for contempt would have been key for the panel鈥檚 investigation regarding the alleged misuse of public funds by offices under Duterte.
READ: OVP execs who skipped House probe cited for contempt, ordered arrested