House Assistant Majority Leader and La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V (PNA file photo)
The House of Representatives will investigate whether individuals listed in the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential fund records actually received the funds, a lawmaker announced Monday.
House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega said in a press conference that the identities of 942 people—confirmed by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to exist—will be reviewed. This includes 670 names from the OVP’s acknowledgment receipts and 272 from the Department of Education (DepEd).
“It’s important to determine if these individuals truly received any funds,” Ortega stated.
According to Ortega, the House is examining around 4,000 acknowledgment receipts to verify the legitimacy of the listed recipients.
The probe comes in the wake of findings that, out of 1,992 individuals supposedly listed as OVP beneficiaries, 1,322 had no birth records, 1,456 lacked marriage records, and 1,593 had no death records. Additionally, 405 out of the 677 names under DepEd’s confidential funds reportedly have no birth records.
Ortega stressed that confirming actual disbursements to real individuals is just as crucial as identifying fake entries.
“We need to be certain—these names either have records or they don’t,” he said.
He also pointed out that some flagged names appeared suspicious or humorous, resembling puns, brands, or grocery items. Examples included “Beverly Claire Pampano,” “Mico Harina,” and “Xiaome Ocho.”
Another batch of questionable names was jokingly referred to by Ortega as “Team Amoy Asim,” which featured names like Amoy Liu, Fernan Amuy, and Joug De Asim. Other odd names cited included “Mary Grace Piattos,” a mix of a popular bakery and a snack brand, and “Xiaome Ocho,” which closely mirrors a known smartphone brand.
Ortega reiterated the importance of strictly following regulations when handling confidential funds.
“It’s straightforward—just follow the guidelines. There are proper procedures for managing these funds,” he said.
He also noted that the full truth might now only come to light through an impeachment process.