New questionable names linked to DepEd confidential funds

House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Paolo Ortega V identified new questionable names, including 'Amoy Liu', 'Fernan Amuy', and 'Joug De Asim', as recipients of confidential funds from the Department of Education (DepEd).

Ortega noted that these new names, humorously dubbed 'Team Amoy Asim', share a similar pattern with previously uncovered suspicious names as they have no corresponding records in the Philippine Statistics Authority's database.

The lawmaker stated that the pattern is the same as previous dubious names like Mary Grace Piattos, Miggy Mango, and Jay Kamote.

Other suspicious names mentioned include Renan Piatos, Pia Piatos-Lim, Xiaome Ocho, and five individuals named 'Dodong'.

Around 405 of the 677 names listed as beneficiaries of DepEd's confidential funds have no birth records.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has urged Vice President Sara Duterte to explain these discoveries, with Palace Press Officer Clare Castro stating she has the obligation to do so.

The House of Representatives is investigating the utilization of confidential funds, with the OVP and DepEd having submitted acknowledgment receipts to the Commission on Audit (CoA) to account for confidential funds.

Of the 1,992 supposed recipients of the Office of the Vice President confidential funds, a significant number had no birth, marriage, or death records.