During Day 19 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Padilla earlier asked private prosecution counsel Atty. Mae Divinagracia if she was aware that Philippine heroes used aliases during the revolution against Spanish colonial rule. The remark came as the impeachment trial focused on allegations that Duterte misused confidential funds through liquidation documents containing names that prosecutors described as fictitious.
Adiong said national heroes used aliases for a fundamentally different purpose—to protect themselves while fighting for the country’s freedom.
“I think those national heroes whose aliases were referenced would be probably rolling in their graves after their nom de guerre… were mentioned in the same context as the allegation of misuse of confidential funds,” Adiong said in a press briefing shortly after the impeachment trial.
“To be mentioned in the same breath as Mary Grace Piattos, Mr. Pagong, Ms. Pusa, Ms. Belat... is a travesty to the memories and legacies which these national heroes have imparted to benefit the Filipino nation,” he added.
“To put them on the equal footing as Mico Harina, as Andy Lim… It's already an insult to the sacrifices they have made for this country,” he said.
“The sacrifices they have made… is actually diametrically opposite to the very practice of which these confidential funds were handled. So hindi po dapat ‘yun ang analogy na gamitin natin,” Adiong emphasized.
He also stressed that the issue before the impeachment court was primarily about the liquidation and auditing of confidential funds, rather than patriotism.
The lawmaker acknowledged that the use of aliases may be necessary in legitimate security operations, but said the current controversy centers on the OVP’s liquidation of confidential funds.
“May problema po ang OVP sa mga sinubmit nila na liquidation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Rep. Paolo Ortega V echoed the prosecution’s position, describing the questionable use of aliases in the acknowledgment receipts as part of what he called a “Chichirya gang scam.”
“In short, yung mga bayani po natin, yung ating mga hero eh nagkaroon po at gumamit po at binansagan po ng mga ganitong pangalan dahil pinaglalaban po nila yung bansa, pinaglalaban po nila yung mga kabutihan na nagagawa ng ating mga hero,” Ortega said.
“Hindi po sila bumuo at gumawa ng mga aliases para po magawa po ‘yung ginagawang chichirya gang scam. Hindi naman po panloloko o pang-aabuso ng pondo, ‘yung mga bansag na ’to ginamit po para ipaglaban ang cause ng bansa,” he added.
