The House Blue Ribbon Committee on Wednesday approved a motion to enlist government agencies in verifying the identities of individuals, including “Mary Grace Piattos,” listed as recipients of multimillion peso confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) disbursed by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) led by Vice President Sara Duterte.
The committee, chaired by Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, resolved to seek assistance from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The motion, introduced by Assistant Majority Leader and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon, came after his interpellation of lawyer Gloria Camora of the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding irregularities in acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP to justify its spending.
“I would like to move that this dubious, spurious, and highly irregular [ARs] be referred to the [PSA] to verify the names enumerated therein if these persons really exist,” Bongalon said.
Bongalon also called for handwriting and signature examinations by the NBI and PNP to determine the authenticity of the ARs, with “Mary Grace Piattos” as a priority.
“I would like to move also that the [ARs] be referred to the [NBI] and the [PNP] for them to assist us in conducting a handwriting or signature examination to verify whether the recipients of these confidential funds are real or not, with Ms. Mary Grace Piattos as the first priority,” he added.
Both motions were approved by the Chua panel, formally called the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
Bongalon flagged ARs totaling ₱26.32 million for bearing dates outside the covered period, raising concerns over their legitimacy.
These receipts were used by the OVP to justify ₱500 million in CIFs disbursed in four installments of ₱125 million, beginning in late 2022 and continuing through the first three quarters of 2023.
The COA previously disallowed ₱73.28 million of the initial ₱125 million, citing improper spending by the OVP within just 11 days in December 2022.
The remaining ₱375 million, spent in 2023, is under scrutiny after Audit Observation Memorandums revealed multiple irregularities.
“‘Yung [ARs], bearing those dates that will not conform with the period that was covered by the confidential funds, correct?” Bongalon asked Camora, who replied, “Yes, Mr. Chair. Ang binigay nila pong dahilan sa compliance nila is inadvertence,” referring to the OVP’s explanation.
Bongalon noted that while some of the ARs were included in previous disallowances, an additional ₱17.6 million remains unaccounted for and could be subject to further COA disallowance.
The name “Mary Grace Piattos” has sparked public curiosity and suspicion due to its resemblance to popular Filipino brands—“Mary Grace,” a chain of cafes, and “Piattos,” a well-known snack brand.
Lawmakers have suggested the name might be fictitious, further casting doubt on the receipts and the individuals listed as recipients.
The PSA will verify the existence of the names listed in the receipts, while the NBI and PNP will conduct handwriting and signature examinations.
These investigations are expected to provide critical insights into the legitimacy of the transactions and the potential misuse of CIFs.