A House private prosecutor raised questions over signatures appearing on acknowledgment receipts linked to the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds, asking how such documents could bear signatures if the listed recipients were allegedly using aliases.

Speaking at an online House of Representatives press briefing on Thursday, private prosecutor Atty. Amando Ligutan pointed to names such as “Mary Grace Piattos” appearing in the receipts and challenged the defense to clarify whether these referred to real individuals or assumed identities.

“Yung default na inaasahan ng taumbayan, kung pwede dapat tama, totoong pangalan ng totoong tao yung nakasulat sa isang acknowledgment receipt,” Ligutan said, stressing the need for transparency in government spending.

Ligutan said the defense had an opportunity to directly address the issue but deferred, saying it would respond “when the time comes,” despite public calls for clarity.

“Mary Grace Piattos, ’yan ba ay alias o ’yan ba ay pangalan ng totoong tao?”

“Unfortunately na-miss ng depensa yung oportunidad na yan.”

He added that while the prosecution is not concluding that the names are fictitious, the presence of signatures raises further questions if aliases were indeed used.

“Kung alias yung ginagamit niyong pangalan ng recipient, eh bakit may pirma? Ano ibig sabihin noon, yung pirma ba alias din?” Ligutan said.

The issue surfaced as part of ongoing proceedings related to the alleged misuse of OVP confidential funds, where acknowledgment receipts have been presented as supporting documents.

State auditor Roderick Wamil of the Commission on Audit (COA), a key prosecution witness, earlier testified before the Senate impeachment court that he could not determine whether the names listed were aliases, noting that such clarification would have to come from the defense.

The impeachment proceedings continue as both sides present arguments and evidence surrounding the use of confidential funds by the OVP.