MANILA, Philippines – Kinumpirma ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) na wala sa anuman sa kanilang rekord si “Mary Grace Piattos,” ang isa sa mga umano’y tumanggap ng confidential funds sa ilalim ng aid program ng Office of the Vice President.
Dahil dito ay nangamba ang mga mambabatas na gumagamit lamang ang OVP ng mga pekeng pangalan para sabihing nagamit nang mabuti ang pondo ng opisina particular ang confidential funds.
Sa sertipikasyon noong Nobyembre 25 na ipinasa kay Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chairman ng House committee on good government and public accountability, sinabi ni PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa na hindi nila mahanap ang birth, marriage o death certificate na may pangalang “Mary Grace Piattos.”
Ani Mapa, maaari pang busisiin ng malaliman ng ahensya ang record kung makapagbibigay ang komite ng “additional information such as the name of parents of the subject, date, and place of the vital event.”
Matatandaan na naging matunog ang pangalan ni Piattos matapos na madiskubre sa mga dokumento ng Commission on Audit (COA) na isa ito sa mga pumirma ng acknowledgment receipt ng P70,000 halaga ng gamut na may petsang Disyembre 30, 2022.
Nangangahulugan ito na si Piattos ay tumanggap ng bahagi ng P125 milyong confidential funds na ginastos ng OVP sa loob ng 11 araw.
Sa pulong balitaan nitong Martes, Disyembre 3, sinabi ni Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre at Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman na ang rebelasyon ng PSA ay may “serious implications” ng fraud.
“Logic will tell you now that if there is no Mary Grace Piattos, all the documents signed by her are fraudulent and false, and in the bigger scheme of things, if there is such an irregularity, then we would have to scrutinize other documents submitted by the OVP?” ani Roman.
“How creative. But this is no laughing matter. It was the most imprudent decision. Maybe they thought that, ‘Okay, just sign there,’ but [it’s] wrong. The truth will eventually come out,” dagdag pa niya.
“It seems ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ is a fictitious scheme to steal from the Filipino people,” sinabi naman ni Acidre.
“If there is a mistake in one document, then we have reason to believe the others are also spurious. And if the falsehood is large-scale, then this might be tantamount to technical malversation.” RNT/JGC
