'Xiaome Ocho'? Sara Duterte urged to name recipients of confidential funds

Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference, February 7, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA — House leaders on Monday challenged Vice President Sara Duterte to provide "verifiable" names of recipients of the confidential funds from her current and previous offices as they criticized her "silence" on the issue. 

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The lawmakers made the remark as they uncover more supposedly dubious names in the confidential funds receipts submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education, an agency she previously helmed.

"The Filipino people deserve to know where their money went. Transparency is not optional,” House Committee on Good Government chairman Rep. Joel Chua said.

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"If there is no clear list of beneficiaries, it only strengthens the case for impeachment. We cannot allow public funds to be disbursed without proper accountability," House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega added.

Aside from "Mary Grace Piattos", other "odd" names have surfaced such as "Xiaome Ocho," “Pia Piatos-Lim" and “Renan Piatos."

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“These names don’t match any records in the PSA’s database. Were these real people, or were they fabricated to justify fund disbursements? If these names are fabrications, then where did the money go? Who pocketed it?” Chua asked.

Duterte had denied allegations of corruption and fund misuse, saying that the House investigation was part of political persecution.

The issue on confidential funds was among the grounds cited when the House of Representatives impeached Duterte last month.

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Senate President Francis Escudero said that the impeachment trial of Duterte will commence when Congress returns from break on June 2, adding that signature campaigns will not pressure him to revise his timeline.

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Duterte has filed a petition at the Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction, saying the impeachment complaint the House endorsed violated a one-year ban on impeachment complaints after one has been initiated.

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