A HOUSE leader on Sunday dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s claims of being the target of an assassination threat, likening them to the fabricated identities of “Mary Grace Piattos” and “Kokoy Villamin,” alleged recipients of confidential funds from the Duterte-led Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd).
Assistant Majority Leader Jude Acidre dismissed Duterte’s assassination claims as “fake,” citing the statements of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla and Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, who both said there were no credible threats against the Vice President.
“The supposed assassination threats against Vice President Duterte are fake—completely unfounded and baseless,” Acidre, House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, declared. “They are as fabricated as the names ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ and ‘Kokoy Villamin,’ which were used to justify the alleged misuse of confidential funds.”
He added: “If there were any threats, the only one we’ve heard making them is the Vice President herself,” referring to Duterte’s controversial remark that she had allegedly hired an assassin to target President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez should anything happen to her.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has initiated a formal probe into Duterte’s claims.
Acidre compared Duterte’s threats to the fabricated identities of “Mary Grace Piattos” and “Kokoy Villamin,” names appearing on acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP and DepEd to the Commission on Audit to account for disbursed confidential funds totaling P612.5 million.
Investigations found no official records for “Mary Grace Piattos” and “Kokoy Villamin,” with the Philippine Statistics Authority confirming they do not exist in its civil registry, raising suspicions the names were fabricated.
“Mary Grace Piattos,” a name that coincidentally combines a popular restaurant and a snack brand, and “Kokoy Villamin,” whose receipt signatures displayed inconsistent handwriting, have come to symbolize alleged misuse of public funds.
Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, House Committee on Women and Gender Equality chairperson, dismissed Duterte’s allegations, calling them baseless and suggesting they may be a plea for sympathy.
“Honestly, wala akong naramdaman o na-perceive na pagbabanta sa buhay ng ating Bise Presidente,” Roman said.
“Looking at the videos of her threats against the President and her claim na siya ang pinagbabantaan ng buhay, parang ang interpretation ko doon ay parang it’s a call for help,” Roman added. “Maybe naghahanap siya ng simpatiya mula sa kanyang mga supporters. For me, it’s non-existent. Hindi ako naniniwalang may pagbabanta talaga sa buhay ni VP Sara.”
Roman stressed, however, that credible threats exist against President Marcos. “As we have established and what we have seen is talagang mayroong pagbabanta sa buhay ng ating Pangulo,” Roman said.
Both the PNP and the AFP have stated they have no evidence supporting Duterte’s claims of assassination plots against her.
Fajardo confirmed that while Duterte mentioned “documented threats,” no copies of such documents have been provided to law enforcement.
“If we listen to various reports from our law enforcement agencies—whether military or police—there is no proof of any attempts or threats to the life and safety of our Vice President,” Acidre noted.
He also criticized Duterte’s decision to publicize the alleged threats without evidence, calling her remarks irresponsible.
“These threats, without solid evidence, are only in the mind of the Vice President. For someone with that mandate, to express this without clear evidence is basically contributing to greater instability that does not help our country,” Acidre said.
Duterte’s claim that an assassin could target the Marcos couple and Speaker Romualdez has drawn backlash from lawmakers, security experts and the general public, prompting the NBI to investigate.
Such a statement from the Vice President, critics argue, could erode public trust and cause unnecessary alarm.
Acidre urged the Vice President to present concrete proof if her allegations are genuine.
“I hope the Vice President considered that before making such statements, they should present evidence that has been examined and confirmed by our police and military,” he said.
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