Metro Manila, Philippines – The alias ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ and the defense lawyer of Vice President Sara Duterte are among confirmed witnesses of the prosecution panel in the looming impeachment trial.
On Thursday, June 25, Manila Rep. Joel Chua said Piattos, the alias of a supposed recipient of Duterte’s confidential funds, was listed as a witness in the pre-trial brief submitted to the Impeachment Court.
Piattos – a combination of a popular restaurant and snack brand – surfaced in 2024 at a hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability as a supposed recipient of the vice president’s confidential funds.
In December 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority said it has no civil registry records of a “Mary Grace Piattos.”
“Malalaman po natin kung totoo siya,” Chua said in a text message when asked the significance of including Piattos in their witness list.
[Translation: We will know if this is a real person.]
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, another prosecutor, said Piattos is key in the impeachment article concerning confidential fund misuse.
“Iyong existence or nonexistence po ni Mary Grace Piattos, iyong pong smoking gun kung talaga nga bang tama o mali ‘yun pong paggamit ng confidential funds,” he said.
[Translation: The existence or non-existence of Mary Grace Piattos is the smoking gun that will determine whether the use of the confidential funds was truly proper or improper.]
Ridon said the public should see how the prosecution will make Piattos appear, given the absence of PSA records.
Meanwhile, Michael Poa, Duterte’s defense spokesperson, said his team is ready to cross examine Piattos.
Poa, former education undersecretary, also said the prosecution listed him as a witness.
“Kung ang tatanungin naman nila ay matters that are not pertaining to my role as counsel to vice president, wala naman siguro problema,” he said.
[Translation: If they will ask matters that do not pertain to my role as counsel to the vice president, I have no problem with that.]
Ridon said Poa would be instrumental as to “how confidential funds and entire operations of DepEd (Department of Education) and OVP (Office of the Vice President) had been undertaken.”
The impeachment trial will begin on July 6.
