New 'grocery' names linked to alleged misuse of OVP funds

A lawmaker has revealed additional names resembling grocery items allegedly linked to the misuse of P500 million in confidential funds under Vice President Sara Duterte’s Office of the Vice President.

House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V referred to the new list as “Team Grocery” which included names such as Beverly Claire Pampano, Mico Harina, Patty Ting, Ralph Josh Bacon, and Sala Casim.

“Mukhang listahan po ng mga bibilhin sa palengke o grocery ang mga bagong pangalang nakita natin,” Ortega said in a statement on Sunday, adding that these names do not appear in official birth, marriage, or death records at the Philippine Statistics Authority.

(These new names look like a shopping list for the market or grocery.)

“Kung hindi sila totoong tao, nasaan napunta ang pondo?” Ortega questioned.

(If these individuals are not real, where did the funds go?)

Last week, Ortega disclosed another set of supposed fund recipients under the moniker “Team Amoy Asim,” including "Amoy Liu," "Fernand Amuy," and "Joug De Asim."

He had previously identified additional recipients named “Jay Kamote,” “Miggy Mango,” “Dongong Alcala,” “Dodong Bina,” “Dodong Bunal,” “Dodong Darong,” and “Dodong S. Barok.”

“Ang mas nakakalungkot, patuloy itong nadadagdagan. Typo ba ito? Mukhang may effort na talagang mag-imbento ng listahan para pagtakpan kung saan dinala ang pondo,” Ortega remarked.

(What’s more upsetting is that the list keeps growing. Are these just typos? It appears there is a deliberate effort to fabricate names to cover up fund misuse.)

GMA News Online has reached out to the Vice President’s office for comment but has yet to receive a response. This article will be updated upon receipt of any statement.

Earlier hearings uncovered irregularities in documents submitted by the OVP and the Department of Education—previously headed by Duterte—including incorrect dates, unsigned documents, and illegible signatories, raising further concerns over the disbursement of confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

A House panel in December reported that no PSA records existed for "Mary Grace Piattos," a name frequently appearing in acknowledgment receipts for OVP confidential funds. The panel even offered a P1 million reward for any information on her identity.

Duterte has denied any misuse of funds, stating that she had never seen acknowledgment receipts signed by "Mary Grace Piattos."

She was impeached by the House of Representatives but continues to assert that her office handled the funds properly. — DVM, GMA Integrated News