Philippines VP Sara Duterte used snack-brand names to get millions in government funds

Sara Duterte, vice president of the Philippines, has for the first time addressed allegations that her office used names based on Filipino snack brands to withdraw millions in government funds, a controversy now at the center of her impeachment. Speaking to a reporter at an international conference in The Hague, Duterte claimed the aliases were part of intelligence protocol for security operations.

The issue began last year when Philippine audit officials and lawmakers found that receipts submitted by Duterte’s office for nearly $10.5 million in confidential government funds listed unusual names such as Mary Grace “Piattos,” Fernando “Tempura,” Reymunda Jane “Nova” and Carlos Miguel “Oishi.” These names correspond to well-known Filipino snack brands including potato chips and crackers.

Duterte had not responded publicly for months as the scandal fueled calls for transparency. “There are rules in intelligence operations, and you already heard some people who work in intelligence say that aliases are often used in intelligence operations,” she told reporters in The Hague.

Critics and lawmakers, however, point out that under Philippine auditing and legal standards, financial receipts and documents submitted for the liquidation of government funds must contain the verifiable, legal identities of recipients. While intelligence reports may redact real names for security reasons, receipts used for audit and accountability must be traceable and allow proper verification by the Commission on Audit and Congress.