Vice President Sara Duterte graces the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 50th Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Pasay City on October 22, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — House lawmakers on Tuesday offered a P1 million reward to anyone who can help identify and lead to a certain "Mary Grace Piattos," whose name appeared on acknowledgment receipts submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to state auditors to justify its confidential expenses in 2022.

• VP Duterte says no misuse of OVP confidential funds

House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability vice chairperson Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said members of his panel and the House Quad Committee contributed to raise the amount as several lawmakers expressed belief that the receipts were “fictitious."

“Ang sinasabi ng Office of the Vice President, totoo si Mary Grace Piattos… Kasi hindi kami naniniwala na totoong may Mary Grace Piattos… So kung sino ang makakatulong sa amin para mahanap si Mary Grace Piattos, handang magbigay ng pabuya ang mga congressman,” Khonghun said.

“Kung sino ‘yung makakapagturo… makakatukoy ng pagkatao ni Mary Grace Piattos at matutulungan tayo na maiharap siya sa hearing. Kasi gusto naming malaman kung may katotohanan ba ‘yung katauhan ni Mary Grace Piattos,” he added. 

Khonghun asserted that the acknowledgment receipts presented during the hearing were from the Commission on Audit, denying claims by Vice President Sara Duterte that they were fake. 

Duterte’s chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez has returned to the country after traveling to the United States, and is expected to attend the resumption on Wednesday of the House panel hearing on the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the OVP, according to Khonghun.

BUDGET CUT JUSTIFIED

Khonghun and House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V defended the House’s proposed P733 million budget for the OVP next year, following a statement from some senators seeking to increase this figure.

The lawmaker said this was a consequence of Duterte's refusal to defend her office’s budget and explain questions on her confidential expenses.

• VP Duterte balik-Senado para ilaban ang 2025 OVP budget; pagdinig tumagal lang ng 10 minuto

Khonghun stressed that the 200 OVP personnel who could lose jobs from the proposed budget cut were the responsibility of Duterte.

“The problem is, hindi niya jinustify ‘yung budget niya. So it’s her responsibility... Ilang beses siyang inimbitahan, hindi siya umattend, hindi siya pumunta para i-justify ‘yung kanyang budget, tapos ibabalik niya sa Kongreso ang mawawalan ng trabaho," he said.

"In the first place, kung jinustify niya ‘yung budget niya, at inayos niya ‘yung paggamit ng pondo ng pamahalaan, walang mawawalan ng trabaho, at maayos ang trabaho ng Office of the Vice President,” he added.

Khonghun urged Duterte to attend the next hearing of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

Duterte said she would skip the Nov. 20 hearing. She said she had attended the first hearing, where she was allegedly made to sit instead of answering questions. 

VP Sara Duterte to skip Nov. 20 House probe on fund use

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