‘Chel Diokno, Marian Rivera’ VP confidential fund recipients? PSA checking

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been tapped to determine if it’s really representative-elect Chel Diokno and actress Marian Rivera whose signatures appeared on disbursement documents related to Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential and intelligence funds, House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said on Sunday.

Adiong said the request for verification came in the wake of viral reports that the names of the two personalities were in the disbursement receipts for Duterte’s confidential and intelligence funds.

“In fact, the agencies that are tasked have the capacity to really assess and verify whether a certain Chel Diokno is indeed apart from the Chel Diokno that we know. There is a ‘Chel Diokno’ (in the receipt) and that exists as an informant, intelligence informant, possible intelligence informant who really received acknowledgement receipts or payment,” Adiong said over radio dzBB.

“So I guess the agencies that can actually help us, the public, to really know whether there is indeed names such as that are the PSA and NBI. That’s why from the very start, you know, we requested the assistance of these agencies,” he said.

Adiong said many acknowledgement receipts were not included, much less examined, during the investigation of the House committee on good government and public accountability on the Vice President’s intelligence and confidential funds.

“At the time that we had an investigation at the good government (committee), not all the acknowledgment receipts that we saw and investigated were not proper,” Adiong said.

He said they were able to see “discrepancies” in “just a portion” of acknowledgment receipts that were made available to the good government committee at that time.

“The signatures, the names are the same, but from different places. There are different signatures under the same name,” Adiong said.

“As to the new revelations, we asked the assistance of the PSA and NBI because there are still many acknowledgment receipts that we have not seen yet,” he said.

“That’s why we requested PSA and the NBI to also verify not only those questionable acknowledgement receipts but to examine also forensically if these signature specimens are actually signed by one and the same person,” he added.

Adiong admitted they have not yet reviewed the entries bearing the names of Diokno and Rivera.

He said he finds it “a little funny” that an “uncommon name” such as “Chel” appeared on subject documents. “And then you put Diokno as the surname, it is not also common,” he said.

“The ‘Marian Rivera,’ it is possible that there is a Marian Rivera. I mean, with due respect to the veteran actress, Marian is a common name. And even the last name, the family name Rivera, is a very common Filipino surname,” he added.