Manila: Forensic examiners from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) disclosed to the House of Representatives Committee on Justice that handwritten entries on some acknowledgment receipts from alleged beneficiaries of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte's confidential funds were penned by a limited number of individuals.
According to Philippines News Agency, NBI Director Melvin Matibag and forensic examiner Carolyn Pitoy presented a detailed four-page report on their scrutiny of 36 acknowledgment receipts. Pitoy indicated that as few as seven individuals might have been responsible for writing all the receipts. She explained that the bureau's analysis showed seven groups of receipts, each authored by a single person. Further examination of the handwriting included an analysis of the form, structural pattern, direction of line strokes, alignment, and execution manner across the receipts.
The names implicated in the questionable signatures or handwriting include Jason Bitangcol, Selsa Arojable, Samson Samuel, Hedda Claribelita Tamayo, Jayson Reignold Ngo, Joseph Caraceo, Raymond Mamon, Angel Marie Abrigo, Anthony Santos, Sabel Salazar, and Milky Secuya. The alleged irregularities were initially flagged during an investigation by the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability into the purported misuse of PHP612.5 million in confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
Additionally, FPJ Panday Bayanihan Rep. Brian Poe and Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores inquired if the NBI had conducted a forensic examination on the remaining approximately 4,000 acknowledgment receipts. The NBI clarified that they had only examined the 36 receipts requested by the House but expressed willingness to examine all documents if requested.
Meanwhile, Marizza Grande, an official from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), reported to the Committee on Justice that hundreds of names on the acknowledgment receipts lacked verifiable records. Grande confirmed that out of 677 names submitted for verification, a significant number had no birth, death, or marriage records. This list includes names like Mary Grace Piattos, Milky Secuya, and Kokoy Villamin.
In related developments, the Commission on Audit (COA) rejected an appeal from the Office of the Vice President, affirming the disallowance of PHP73.28 million in confidential fund spending for December 2022. Auditor Gloria Camora, from the COA Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, revealed that the commission upheld their initial disallowance, linking it to the OVP's inability to justify the expenses in relation to confidential or intelligence activities. The ruling was signed by COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Commissioners Mario Lipana and Douglas Mallillin, and the disallowed amount was part of the PHP125 million disbursed and liquidated by the OVP in December 2022.
The COA has been requested to submit the ruling and related documents, and notices of disallowance have been issued for the OVP's confidential fund use throughout 2023. The amount in question is subject to restitution following the denial of the OVP's appeal.
