Photo credit: Congress PH

It looks like Mary Grace Piattos wasn’t snacking alone.

House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V has just dropped another bombshell: the infamous “Mary Grace Piattos” isn’t the only questionable name linked to Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds. There’s now a whole Piattos clan—plus an unexpected tech twist.

Meet the ‘Piattos Family’ and Their New Recruit

Ortega revealed that the annexes of the impeachment complaint against Duterte contain two new names suspiciously close to Mary Grace Piattos: Pia Piatos-Lim and Renan Piatos. But here’s where it gets even weirder—while Mary Grace had a double “T” in Piattos, these two only have one. A clerical error? A deliberate tweak? Or just another way to dodge scrutiny?

But wait—there’s more! Meet Xiaome Ocho, a name that sounds suspiciously like Xiaomi 8, a smartphone model from 2018. Yep, that’s right. It’s no longer just snacks receiving confidential funds; now, even a cellphone might have made it onto the payroll.

‘Grabe naman ang special treatment sa pamilya Piattos!’
Ortega couldn’t hide his frustration, throwing a sarcastic jab:
“Grabe naman ang ‘special treatment’ sa pamilya Piattos. May Mary Grace Piattos, may Pia Piatos-Lim, may Renan Piatos. Ano bang meron sa kanila at parang qualified silang lahat makatanggap ng confidential funds?”

And the problem isn’t just their names—it’s that none of them seem to exist. A check with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) found no birth, marriage, or death records for any of them.

“Sana hindi naman nila ipinambili ng isang warehouse ng chichirya ang pondong ito,” Ortega quipped. “Pero ang mas nakakabahala, hindi natin alam kung saan talaga ito napunta.”

A Confidential Fund Mystery: Real or Imaginary People?

The impeachment complaint has now been forwarded to the Senate, and the PSA’s findings are raising even more eyebrows. Out of 1,992 supposed recipients of the OVP’s confidential funds:
• Only 670 had any match in PSA records.
• A whopping 1,322 had no birth records.
• 1,456 had no marriage records.
• 1,593 had no death records.

“Anong klase itong confidential funds disbursement na hindi natin matukoy kung totoong tao ba ang mga tumanggap?” Ortega asked. “Public funds ito, pero parang ginamit sa isang imaginary payroll.”

The ₱125M Mystery: Where Did the Money Go?

The whole controversy started when the name Mary Grace Piattos surfaced in COA documents, revealing she signed an acknowledgment receipt for confidential funds on December 30, 2022. This was part of the ₱125 million in funds that allegedly disappeared in just 11 days.

Now, with the emergence of Pia Piatos-Lim, Renan Piatos, and Xiaome Ocho, the case is starting to sound like a bizarre mix of a budol scam and a comedy skit.

Ortega is demanding answers:

“Sino ang Pia Piatos-Lim, Renan Piatos, at Mary Grace Piattos? Sino si Xiaome Ocho? Paano ginamit ang confidential funds na sinasabing napunta sa kanila?”

With the Senate trial looming, VP Duterte will have to explain how these names ended up on the list. But for now, one thing is clear—this so-called “Budol Gang” is growing, and the public is demanding accountability.