LA Union Rep. Paolo Ortega yesterday laughed off what he called Vice President Sara Duterte’s temerity to question the veracity of the names of persons who allegedly received confidential funds from her office.
The names were on a list submitted by the Office of the Vice President itself to the Commission on Audit.
“Hindi ko alam kung paano, ano pang palusot o ano pang ira-rason nila talaga diyan. Sabi ko nga, masasagot na lahat ‘yan sa ating impeachment (I don’t know how, what excuse or what reason they will offer for that. As I’ve said, it will all be answered in the impeachment trial),” he told a press conference.
Had the OVP followed strict procedures in handling confidential funds, Ortega said, the Vice President would not have a hard time explaining to the public how the funds were spent.
The Vice President on Wednesday said she has no idea where the House of Representatives got its list of dubious names, reacting to Ortega’s revelation last Sunday that the supposed recipients now include five “Dodongs,” a “Jay Kamote” and a “Miggy Mango.” Duterte said she has no idea “how they handled the chain of evidence.”
“She also expressed doubt as to whether it is the same list submitted by her office to COA.
The names are part of evidence attached to the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President. The other names “Pia Piatos-Lim” and “Renan Piatos,” who are seemingly linked to a recipient earlier identified as “Mary Grace Piattos.”
The name Piattos has been the subject of ridicule because “Mary Grace” is the name of a popular restaurant while “Piattos” is a known brand of potato chips.
“Xiaome Ocho” also appears on the list of the OVP’s confidential fund recipients. It is similar to a 2018 model of the Xiaomi brand cellphone.
Ortega stressed that the recipients have no official records such as birth certificates, marriage and no death records with the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“There are supporting documents. It’s like they don’t have personalities,” he said adding questions about the supposed recipients will be answered during the impeachment trial.
‘DISREGARD FOR ACCOUNTABILITY’
Ortega said the Vice President’s “nonchalant” reaction to the dubious names of recipients shows a “clear disregard for accountability.” He urged the Vice President to “drop her excuses and start facing the facts.”
“Ipinakita niya na wala siyang pakialam sa isyung ito. (She only showed that she doesn’t care about this issue). Instead of addressing the mounting evidence against her, she continues to shrug it off as if it were a joke,” he said. “She should be preparing for her impeachment trial, not making light of allegations involving potentially hundreds of millions in public funds.”
The Articles of Impeachment, transmitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate on February 5, includes as a specific act Duterte’s alleged malversation of P612.5 million in confidential funds as vice president and as education secretary, a position she held until June last year.
The impeachment trial has yet to begin since Senate President Francis Escudero has stuck to his word that trial may start in July because Congress is currently on recess.
Ortega expressed appreciation for Escudero’s advice after he rebuked the congressman for saying that the Senate should begin the impeachment trial since it is also holding committee hearings even during the break.
Escudero, who advised Ortega to further study Congress’s rules, earlier said that according to Senate rules, any, and not just the blue ribbon, can hold motu proprio investigations while Congress is on break.
Ortega said he was taking the Senate leader’s advice as a “constructive reminder” and agreed that thorough preparation is necessary for the upcoming impeachment trial.
