A lawmaker wanted a probe into the identity of a signatory named “Mary Grace Piattos” found in documents submitted by the Office of the Vice President to the Commission on Audit.
Rep. Romeo Acop (Antipolo City, Second District) questioned the name of a receiver in an acknowledgment receipt dated Dec. 30, 2022 related to documents of the OVP’s millions-worth confidential funds.
The COA also said the acknowledgment receipts were “bogus or spurious” based on their records.
The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is probing the OVP’s alleged misuse of confidential funds in 2022 and 2023, which they said had documents “belatedly prepared.”
The OVP’s staff were a no-show at the November 5 hearing, although lawyer Michael Poa attended and revealed of vacating his post as Vice President Sara Duterte‘s spokesperson.
He said that his contract was pre-terminated following a “mutual decision” between him and Duterte.
In the House hearing on November 5, documents related to the confidential funds for 2022 and 2023 were probed by lawmakers.
In 2022, the OVP spent P125 million of confidential funds for 11 days.
The documents being probed in the hearing included over 150 acknowledgment receipts, one of which featured a name that caught Acop’s attention — a signatory identified as “Mary Grace Piattos.”
“Now, sa tingin mo, totoong tao ‘yan?” the lawmaker asked during the hearing. “What’s your opinion?”
“It could be a person,” lawyer Gloria Camora of the COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office said.
She also initially insisted it was read as “Piatty,” but Acop said it looked like “Piattos” to him.
“It could be a person. Pero, would you know na merong restaurant na Mary Grace ang pangalan?” he said.
“Yes, Mr. Chair,” Camora answered.
“At meron ding Piattos na brand ng potato chips… would you know that?” Acop said, to which Camora answered in the affirmative.
The lawmaker later said that most of the acknowledgments receipts were “not true.”
Reports said Acop wanted an investigation into the signatory’s identity.
“If hindi po totoo, hindi natin malalaman kung saan talaga napunta ‘yung pondo, ‘yung confidential fund, until and unless, we would be able to grill ‘yung dalawang SDOs,” he said.
“The SDOs of the Office of the Vice President and the SDO of the Department of Education,” Acop added, referring to the special disbursement officers.
The particular signatory also caught the attention of online Filipinos.
“Ano kaya ang Middle Name ni Mary Grace Piattos?” an online user commented with laughing-with-tears emojis.
“Dear Mary Grace Piattos, kung sino ka man, maari ka bang tumayong testigo as recipient ni Sara? Ipaliwanag mo [saan] niyo dinadala ang pera ng taumbayan? Yours Truly, Jack [and] Jill Contis,” another Pinoy wrote.
Pinoy pop culture page FFTM also poked fun at the name by sharing a logo of the Mary Grace restaurant and a Piattos chips.
“Received by,” it said in a Facebook post.
The post has amassed 25,000 pure laughing reactions, 3,700 shares, and over 800 comments.
“Hindi ninyo kilala si Mary Grace Piattos? Pamangkin ‘yan ni Auntie Anne Chippy. ‘Yung nanay nina Jack and Jill,” content creator and podcast host Lyqa Maravilla quipped, mentioning other chips.
Mary Grace is a homegrown bakeshop and restaurant that serves ensaymadas, pastries, and other meals.
Meanwhile, Piattos is a brand of flavored potato chips under Jack N’ Jill known for its light and crispy texture.
Duterte previously said her office never misused its budget. She also claimed the inquiry was a test case for filing an impeachment case against her.
Her office has been under scrutiny for its alleged mismanagement of millions-worth confidential and intelligence funds for 2022 and 2023.
The COA has previously issued notice of disallowances to the OVP, saying that the funds were not used for surveillance and confidential operations as intended.
