1,992 more names in OVP fund need verification

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) may have to verify the authenticity of 1,992 more names being linked to P500-million confidential funds allegedly misused by Vice President Sara Duterte.

The House committee on good government and public accountability, chaired by Manila Rep. Joel Chua, relayed to the PSA for verification a new list of names in acknowledgement receipts supposedly for recipients of Duterte's confidential funds.

"May we request for the verification of the Civil Registry Documents (birth, marriage and death) of the names in the attached list relative to the investigation being conducted by the Committee," Chua said in a letter dated Dec. 9 to national statistician and civil registrar general Claire Dennis Mapa.

Chua's request came in the wake of a PSA report that revealed glaring discrepancies in an earlier batch of names linked to the P112.5 million in confidential funds disbursed by the Department of Education (DepEd) when it was still headed by Duterte. The Vice President served as DepEd chief until last July after a falling out with records of birth, marriage or President Marcos.

Out of the 677 names verified by the PSA, 405 have no death that matched the names in the acknowledgment receipts for disbursements of confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd.