Representative-elect Chel Diokno (Akbayan party-list) responded to a report claiming his name appeared in the Department of Education‘s (DepEd) confidential funds receipts.
On Friday, May 23, the human rights lawyer reacted to a news item published by Abante Tonite, which reported that his and actress Marian Rivera‘s names were found in receipts submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA).
The report, citing newscaster and Abante Tonite columnist Arnold Clavio, said the House prosecution panel uncovered new details related to the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, a former education secretary.
The report said confidential fund receipts included signatures of Diokno and Rivera.
It also mentioned an acknowledgment receipt showing a “Marian Rivera” receiving P100,000.
Diokno took to social media to call out the confidential funds recipient list.
“Lahat na ba nasa listahan ng confidential funds?” he wrote with a zany face emoji.
“Pati ba naman pangalan namin ni Ma’am Marian dinamay nila! Grabe ang kawalang-hiyaan!” the lawyer added with a clown emoji.
Receipts for confidential funds during Duterte’s tenure as DepEd secretary previously made headlines after signatories of chip-inspired names such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Fernando Tempura” and “Reymunda Jane Nova” were discovered.
Reports said there were also signatories of suspicious-sounding names such as “Chippy McDonald,” “Xiaome Ocho,” and “Milky Secuya.”
The STAR also reported that apart from potato chip and cellular phone brands, names of popular restaurants, fruits and root crops, the liquidation reports of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Duterte also included names inspired by grocery items.
These include “Beverly Claire Pampano,” referencing a popular fish, “Mico Harina,” whose surname translates to flour, “Patty Ting” and “Ralph Josh Bacon,” referring to burger staples, while “Sala Casim” refers to kasim or pork shoulder.
In December 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority said that there were no “records of birth certificate, marriage and death” under the name of Mary Grace Piattos.
Piattos was one of the recipients of the OVP’s P500-million confidential funds, including the P112.5-million confidential funds in the DepEd while Duterte was still its secretary.
Duterte is currently facing an impeachment threat stemming from the misuse of confidential funds, among other accusations.
In February, the House of Representatives impeached the vice president, and the case is awaiting trial in the Senate.
As of May 22, the Senate will formally receive the House prosecution panel for Duterte’s impeachment trial on June 2, the same day Congress resumes its session.
