Senator-Judge Raffy Tulfo raised serious concerns over identical handwriting and repeated signatures across different names in the acknowledgment receipts for the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during Vice President Sara Duterte’s tenure.
Speaking after the direct examination of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Assistant National Statistician Marizza B. Grande, Tulfo emphasized that his concern goes beyond whether the names listed exist in civil registry records. Instead, he questioned who provided the names and whether individual recipients actually signed the receipts.
“Ang hindi ko lang nagustuhan doon ay yung pare-pareho ang pirma, pare-pareho yung handwriting sa different names. So doon may lokohan na,” Tulfo said, stating that his assessment of the physical documents points to potential fabrication.
Grande’s testimony focused on the PSA’s verification of 2,669 names against birth, marriage, and death records. She reported that 1,287 names from the OVP list and 398 from the DepEd list, totaling 1,685 individuals, had no matching civil registry records. She also highlighted instances where names matched death certificates or belonged to minor children.
Tulfo noted that while agencies involved in intelligence or security operations sometimes use aliases to protect informants, the primary red flag lies in the uniformity of the handwriting and signatures attached to supposedly distinct individuals.
To shed light on the matter, the Senator urged the impeachment court to summon key officials responsible for handling and submitting the documents.
“So for me, it’s really important na mapatawag dito yung [OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina] Lachica at saka yung counterpart ni Lachica sa DepEd para sila talaga yung may kinalaman doon sa pagbibigay ng mga pangalan na yan,” he said.
Addressing the findings related to minor children listed as beneficiaries, Tulfo asked prosecutors whether investigators had reached out to the parents or guardians involved, suggesting that adults may have used their children’s names on official documentation.