The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has confirmed that over 1,300 individuals who reportedly received disbursements from the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) ₱500-million confidential funds have no records in the national registry.
Based on the agency’s verification, out of the 1,992 names linked to the disbursements, only 670 have partial matches in PSA records. Meanwhile, 1,322 individuals have no birth records at all. Additionally, 1,456 have no marriage records, while 536 show possible matches. When checked against death records, only 399 names had potential matches.
These findings were outlined in a letter from National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa to Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
In a statement, Rep. Chua said the PSA’s certification strongly suggests that the listed recipients do not exist. “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. The acknowledgment receipts may have been manufactured to justify the disbursement of confidential funds,” he said.
Chua added, “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.”
During earlier hearings by the same House committee, it was revealed that the name “Mary Grace Piattos” frequently appeared on OVP confidential fund acknowledgment receipts. However, the PSA database also showed no record of such a person. The House has since offered a 1-million pesos reward for any information on the identity of “Mary Grace Piattos,” but no confirmation of her existence has been made.
In previous sessions, lawmakers also pointed out inconsistencies in OVP and Department of Education documents, including incorrect dates, illegible entries, and unsigned names. Both offices were previously headed by Vice President Sara Duterte.
The committee continues its investigation into the possible misuse of the OVP’s confidential funds, as questions about transparency and accountability remain unanswered.
