Defense: Use of aliases not in notices of disallowances

August 14, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The defense panel has established that the use of aliases was not included in the notices of disallowances issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding the confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte.

During cross-examination last Wednesday, defense counsel Kristine Ferrer asked prosecution witness COA supervising auditor Xylene Mae del Campo if the Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office included “Mary Grace Piattos” and other aliases in its notices of disallowances (ND).

“I am showing you the first ND dated August 2024. Did you see the names of Mary Grace Piattos, Renan Piattos, Andy Lim?” Ferrer asked Del Campo.

The witness said, “None.”

Ferrer asked Del Campo if the aliases were mentioned in the second ND dated March 31, 2026. Again, the witness responded, “None.”

“If the name appears to be funny, does it mean it’s fictitious?” Ferrer also asked.

“I cannot answer that,” Del Campo replied.

Payments made by the OVP to purported informants using aliases were not limited to junk food like “Piattos” but extended to a food bowl of names that included prominent ones in public service.

Upon direct examination from prosecutor Lorna Kapunan, Del Campo showed the court names of alleged recipients in the OVP’s confidential fund liquidation.

Culled documents, in the form of acknowledgment receipts (ARs) submitted by the OVP to COA, on various occasions showed that Duterte’s office paid P50,000 to “Miggy Mango,” P200,000 to “Jay Kamote” (sweet potato) and P250,000 to “Matthew Keso” (cheese).

Even the family names of the impeachment court’s presiding officer, Sen. Francis Escudero, and his celebrity-spouse Heart Evangelista, were not spared, along with former human rights lawyer and now opposition congressman Chel Diokno of party-list Akbayan.

Political clans or dynasties like those of actor Sen. Lito Lapid, detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and the Revillas of Cavite, led by former senator Bong Revilla, were mentioned as signatories to the thousands of ARs.

Duterte’s camp has asked the regional trial court of Quezon City to quash the complaint for grave threats filed against her by the Department of Justice.

Meanwhile, Palace press officer Claire Castro maintained that even if Duterte is acquitted by the Senate impeachment court, evidence would prove that she issued grave threats against the President.–  Ghio Ong, Evelyn Macairan, Alexis Romero