Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has defended the existence of a family with the surname “Piattos” in Davao City amid controversy linking the name to the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
“Halika dito sa Davao, dalhin kita sa bahay ng mga Piattos,” Dela Rosa challenged skeptics, asserting that the Piattos family is real. He further described them as wealthy and long-time residents of the area.
The name “Piattos” gained public attention when it appeared on documents related to the OVP’s confidential fund spending. Lawmakers raised concerns about the legitimacy of the receipts, pointing out that “Piattos” is also the name of a popular snack brand. This fueled speculation that the listed recipient, “Mary Grace Piattos,” might be fictitious.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) later confirmed that they found no birth records of anyone named Mary Grace Piattos in their database. This led to further questions about the transparency of the OVP’s use of confidential funds. Additionally, an investigation revealed that over 1,300 listed beneficiaries of these funds had no birth records, raising suspicions of possible fraud.
Vice President Sara Duterte, whose office is at the center of the controversy, distanced herself from the issue, stating that she had not personally reviewed the acknowledgment receipts. “I have no comment on that because I have not seen the acknowledgment receipt that they are talking about,” she said.
Despite the controversy, Dela Rosa remains firm in his claim that the Piattos family is a well-known and established household in Davao. However, he did not confirm whether they were connected to the OVP’s financial transactions.
As the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability continues to investigate the alleged misuse of confidential funds, questions remain about the authenticity of the names listed in the documents. Lawmakers are now scrutinizing whether these irregularities indicate a systematic scheme to misappropriate government funds.
Dela Rosa’s statements add another layer to the ongoing debate. While his assertion that the Piattos family exists may be true, it remains unclear whether they are in any way connected to the controversial fund disbursements.