VICE President Sara Duterte and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) came under fire from House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Representative Jay Khonghun following the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) confirmation that no records exist for a certain “Mary Grace Piattos.”
Khonghun, a prominent member of the House Young Guns, was responding to the PSA’s reply to a query by Manila Representative Joel Chua, chair of the House Blue Ribbon Committee.
The PSA stated that their Civil Registry System (CRS) database showed no Certificate of Live Birth (COLB), Certificate of Marriage (COM), or Certificate of Death (COD) for “Mary Grace Piattos.”
“Kaya pala walang nag-claim ng P1 million reward kasi peke talaga,” Khonghun remarked, criticizing the OVP for what he called an alarming level of dishonesty.
“Nakakabahala na umabot tayo sa ganitong level ng kasinungalingan. Sa mga opisyal ng gobyerno na dapat nagbibigay ng tamang impormasyon, imbento lang pala ang Mary Grace Piattos,” he added.
The PSA noted that additional details, such as the parents’ names and the date and place of the vital event, could allow further searches. However, the absence of any record has fueled concerns about alleged irregularities in the utilization of the OVP’s and the Department of Education’s confidential funds during Duterte’s term as vice president and education secretary.
“Hindi lang ito simple na isyu ng pangalan; pinagmumulan ito ng mas malalim na problema sa transparency at accountability,” Khonghun said. “Kung kaya nilang mag-imbento ng ganito, ano pa kaya ang mga nakatagong transaksyon?”
Questions of Governance and Transparency
Khonghun stressed that such fabrications erode public trust and expose deeper issues of governance.
“Sa bawat pisong ginagastos ng gobyerno, karapatan ng mamamayan na malaman kung saan ito napupunta. Pero paano kung ang kwento pa lang ay imbento na?” he asked.
He also directly questioned Vice President Duterte’s leadership and the OVP’s management, challenging the integrity of its financial operations.
“Kung ganito ang klase ng pamamahala sa OVP, paano natin masisiguro na tama ang paggamit ng pondo ng bayan?” he queried, calling on public officials to uphold their responsibility to the people.
“Ang dapat ay tapat. Walang lugar para sa mga kwentong imbento, lalo na sa isang tanggapang pinopondohan ng buwis ng taumbayan,” he emphasized.
Calls for Action
Khonghun urged Congress to intensify its investigation of the OVP, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in public service.
“This is not just about one name. It’s about integrity in public service. Congress has a duty to protect the people’s money,” he declared.
He further recommended stronger safeguards to prevent similar fabrications in the future.
“Dapat magkaroon ng mas mahigpit na proseso para hindi na maulit ang ganitong klaseng anomalya,” he said.
The PSA’s findings, Khonghun argued, cast doubt on the credibility of other records and transactions involving the OVP.
“Paano aasahan ng taumbayan ang ating sistema kung ganitong klaseng kwento ang ginagamit? Panahon na para managot ang mga may sala,” he concluded.