MANILA — The House prosecution team has identified “Mary Grace Piattos” as one of its witnesses in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, based on details contained in a pre-trial brief.
The document states that the witness will be called to testify about the alleged disbursement and receipt of confidential funds linked to the Office of the Vice President.
Mary Grace Piattos became a subject of public scrutiny during the House inquiry conducted in 2024 on the use of confidential funds by both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Records submitted to lawmakers included acknowledgment receipts indicating that Piattos supposedly received portions of the funds.
Questions arose after the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that it had no official records showing the existence of an individual bearing the name Mary Grace Piattos.
The investigation also uncovered other names listed in the receipts, such as Xiaomi Ocho, Kokoy Villamin, and Milky Secuya.
Under Article 1 of the impeachment complaint, prosecutors allege that Duterte committed culpable violation of the Constitution, engaged in graft and corruption, and betrayed public trust through the alleged improper use of P612.5 million in confidential funds. Prosecutors said Piattos’ testimony will be used to support this charge.
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