MANILA — Forensic examiners of the National Bureau of Investigation told the House Committee on Justice that handwritten entries on several acknowledgment receipts linked to confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education appear to have been produced by only a small number of people.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag and forensic examiner Carolyn Pitoy presented their findings before lawmakers, based on a review of 36 acknowledgment receipts allegedly signed by beneficiaries of confidential funds.
Pitoy said the handwriting analysis suggests that the documents may have been prepared by as few as seven individuals, based on similarities in stroke patterns, structure, alignment, and writing style.
She explained that each “group” of receipts showed consistent handwriting traits, indicating a single author per group. However, she also noted the possibility that different parts of the documents—such as dates, names, or signatures—may have been written by different persons or even a single writer in varying combinations.
The National Bureau of Investigation clarified that its review was limited to the 36 receipts specifically requested by the House panel, although it expressed willingness to examine the remaining documents if required.
Lawmakers earlier flagged irregularities in the receipts during investigations into alleged misuse of PHP612.5 million in confidential funds, including entries with questionable or possibly fictitious identities.
In a related development, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that hundreds of names listed in the documents have no corresponding birth, death, or marriage records.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Audit upheld its earlier decision disallowing PHP73.28 million in confidential fund expenses of the Office of the Vice President for December 2022, citing lack of proper justification.
The ruling also reaffirmed earlier audit findings covering parts of the agency’s confidential fund utilization, which remain subject to restitution.
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