(UPDATE) More than 400 individuals reportedly listed as recipients of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte have no birth records, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed.

Another 200 recipients of confidential funds, meanwhile, have duplicate names in PSA records.

“Kahapon lumabas na rin ‘yung findings ng PSA pagdating sa 677 na isinumite naming pangalan. Out of 677 na isinumite namin, more than 400 ang lumalabas na walang lumalabas na birth record. More than 200 naman ang lumalabas na maraming kapangalan,” Rep. Joel Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

These include “Kokoy Villamin”, the name that appeared in two acknowledgment receipts supposedly submitted to the Commission Audit by the DepEd and the Office of the Vice President. But the two ARs signed by the same name appeared to have different penmanship and signatures, according to lawmakers.

The list also included “Alice Crescencio”, the name that appeared in three acknowledgment receipts supposedly submitted by the DepEd, but the addresses and the signatures are different, according to House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Adiong. 

“There were three different acknowledgement receipts in the name of one Alice Cresencio, submitted by the Department of Education… Miss Alice was apparently according to these ARs, in different parts of the Philippines. Pinirmahan niya ‘yung una, nasa Pasay City siya. Pangalawa, pumirma siya nasa Iligan City, sa Mindanao. At doon po sa aking probinsya, sa Lanao del Sur,” Adiong said.

“It is an uncommon name. What are the chances, Mr. Chair, all receiving the same confidential funds for different purposes from the same agency, which is DepEd. Sobrang laking coincidence nito, Mr. Chair, which actually, it's a mind-boggling. Medyo po para sa akin, kung isipin po natin ito, medyo kalokohan... The more likely explanation na gusto ko pong isipin ay itong mga taga-pirma, tagagawa nitong mga ARs na ito ay hindi coordinated. Baka hindi ko sila nag-coordinate… probably overlooked the possibility that they may use the same name. Signing three different ARs from three different locations, bearing o gamit ang isang pangalan, which is in this case, Alice Crescencio,” he explained.

Adiong also presented acknowledgment receipts supposedly signed by different individuals named “Sally” and “Shiela”, but the signatures appeared similar.

“Magkakaibang pangalan po ito, Mr. Chair, at malamang magkakaibang tao.

Kaya nga po sila magkaibang pangalan. Pero ano po ang kapansin-pansin, Mr. Chair, at ano ang napapansin natin rito sa pinapirmang acknowledgement receipts nila from DepEd as seen on the screen. Isa lang po ang pirma nila, si Ms. Sally at si Ms. Sheila,” he said.

“These are two different persons, Mr. Chair, from two different addresses, I would assume.

However, they have the exact same signature with exact same strokes. At baka isang tintang ball pen ang ginamit Mr. Chair,” Adiong stressed.

“So it makes you think, Mr. Chair, that what are again the chances that once again, the two different people from Digos City and Surigao City, being more than 400 kilometers away from each other, have… the same signature… For me, Mr. Chair, only one person did these acknowledgement receipts, but merely changed his handwriting style from print to script in writing, the name and the addresses, but also forgetting Mr. Chair probably to change the signature. Yun lang po nga aking naiisip na possible na answer. And because of this Mr. Chair, I believe that this receipt was again merely fabricated,” he noted.

Chua earlier asked PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa to authenticate the birth, marriage, and death records of the individuals whose names appeared in the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP.

This, after the PSA revealed that “Mary Grace Piattos” and “Kokoy Villamin”, two names whose names appeared in OVP receipts, have no records with the statistics authority.

Alleged OVP fund recipient ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ lacks birth record: PSA

PSA investigating 50,000 suspected fake delayed birth registrations

To help address this issue, the committee is eyeing to propose two legislations: the Confidential and Intelligence Funds Act and the Act Regulating Special Disbursing Officers and Imposing Penalties for Misappropriation.

The first measure seeks to establish stricter rules on the allocation and utilization of confidential funds, requiring detailed reports under oath, and clear usage guidelines, while the second aims to strengthen safeguards for public funds by revisiting fidelity bond requirements and imposing stiffer penalties for abuse. “Panahon na upang magpatupad ng mas mahigpit na mga alituntunin sa paggamit ng confidential funds, para sa mga confidential na gastos,” Chua said.

“Kapag nagamit na ang confidential funds para sa kanilang layunin, wala nang dahilan upang hindi maging bukas at maging transparent,” he added.    

Duterte has denied allegations of corruption and fund misuse, saying that the House investigation was part of political persecution.

Chua earlier said the panel is set to conclude its investigation into Duterte’s alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds ahead of a possible impeachment process where the Vice President is expected to address the same allegations.

House panel to end probe into VP Sara Duterte's confidential funds as impeachment looms

However, he noted the panel may also continue hearings on other issues surrounding DepEd. “May mga issue pa sila na gustong tingnan lalung lalo na sa pondo ng DepEd,” he said.

He said the panel is crafting 2 House bills as a result of its investigation: 1) regulate special disbursing officers and impose penalties for misappropriation and 2) Limit confidential funds for agencies that has nothing to do with intelligence gathering, national security and peace and order.

He said time constraints could also pose a challenge to the impeachment attempt against the Vice President.

“By February ay (start na ng campaign) sa national election. Pagdating ng Marso ay local election. Itong kapaskuhan ay busy lahat ang mga congressman sa kanilang distrito kaya medyo challenging po yan,” he said.

POTENTIAL LIABILITIES

Among the potential liabilities seen by some congressmen over the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the offices led by Duterte is plunder.

“Ang basis po natin ay lahat ng mga nakalap na impormasyon patungkol sa mga paggasta ‘di umano ng OVP at ng Department of Education ng confidential funds sa ilalim ng pamumuno ng ating Bise Presidente… Wala pong maipakitang ebidensya kung saan totoong napunta talaga ito,” Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro said.

“Ang pagbalewala sa mga alituntuning ito ay isang paglapastangan sa tiwala ng publiko at sa prinsipyo ng pananagutan na dapat sinusunod ng bawat institusyon ng pamahalaan – lalong-lalo na sa opisina ng Pangalawang Pangulo,” House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Vice Chairperson and Antipolo City 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop added.

Other liabilities seen are falsification of documents, perjury, bribery, and corruption of public officers. 

House Assistant Majority Leader and AKO BICOL Party List Representative Raul Angelo Bongalon is also seeing possible liabilities for technical malversation and presumption of malversation.

But Chua clarified that these are individual observations of lawmakers, and panel members will have to discuss whether they would form part of the committee report. —With reports from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News