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MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,322 recipients of P500 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) have no birth records, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed in a statement on Sunday.
That’s about two-thirds of the 1,992 names submitted by the House committee on good government and public accountability for verification. The PSA said only 670 were identified as “most likely matched” with existing records.
Article continues after this advertisementThe PSA added that 1,456 individuals lacked marriage records, with only 536 names showing possible matches in their database.
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FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO SOS Network asks VP Duterte to explain use of confidential funds NEWSINFO Acop to Dela Rosa: Rebut report with proof, not theatrics NEWSINFO 3 weather systems to bring rains over Luzon, Visayas on Dec. 15The PSA likewise noted that 1,593 individuals had no death records, with 399 having corresponding entries.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority
“The current batch of names under scrutiny appeared on acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP to the Commission on Audit to justify confidential fund expenditures from late 2022 to the third quarter of 2023,” the PSA said.
Article continues after this advertisementThe House blue ribbon committee chair, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, said the PSA’s latest findings “provide strong evidence” that the ARs submitted to justify the OVP’s confidential fund spending were likely fabricated.
Article continues after this advertisement“These findings raise a critical question: if the recipients don’t exist, where did the money go? This is not just a clerical error; this points to a deliberate effort to misuse public funds,” Chua said in a statement.
Article continues after this advertisement“This certification from the PSA leaves little doubt — if these names cannot be found in the civil registry, it strongly suggests they do not exist,” he added.
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play n goThis verification comes after the PSA’s earlier findings on a separate P112.5-million confidential fund used by the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s term as secretary in 2023.
“Out of 677 names investigated in that case, 405 had no birth records, 445 lacked marriage certificates, and 508 had no death certificates,” the PSA explained.
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The name “Mary Grace Piattos,” listed in DepEd receiptslucky7, sparked public skepticism after the PSA confirmed no such person exists in its civil registry database.
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