Check all names in VP's receipts, PSA told

The Philippine Statistics Authority must verify the 4,500 acknowledgment receipts (ARs) Vice President Sara Duterte submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) as proof of payment for confidential funds, a congressman said yesterday.

- By DELON PORCALLA

"The revelation that 'Mary Grace Piattos' is a fictitious identity raises serious red flags. The PSA must immediately audit and verify all the names appearing in the ARs submitted by the OVP to the COA," House deputy majority leader Rep. Paolo Ortega V said.

The PSA certification earlier confirmed that no birth, marriage or death records exist for Piattos. Her name appeared in the ARs submitted to COA to justify expenses from the OVP's P500-million confidential funds, disbursed across four quarters from late 2022 to 2023.