Assistant majority leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s claims of being the target of an assassination threat on Sunday.
He likened her assertions to the fabricated identities of Mary Grace Piattos and Kokoy Villamin, who are alleged recipients of confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
Acidre labeled Duterte’s assassination claims as fake, citing statements from Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla and Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, both of whom confirmed that there were no credible threats against the Vice President.
“The supposed assassination threats against Vice President Duterte are fake—completely unfounded and baseless,” he stated.
“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.
Investigations revealed no official records for Mary Grace Piattos and Kokoy Villamin with the Philippine Statistics Authority, confirming their non-existence in its civil registry and raising suspicions that these names were fabricated.
“If there were any threats, the only one we’ve heard making them is the Vice President herself,” he said, referring to Duterte’s controversial remark about allegedly hiring an assassin to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez should anything happen to her.
“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,” Acidre remarked.
Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman also dismissed Duterte’s allegations, calling them baseless and suggesting they may be a plea for sympathy.
“Honestly, I have not felt or perceived any threat in the life of the Vice President,” she stated.
“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 insists.
“These threats, without solid evidence, exist 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.”
