Manila: Malaca±ang on Thursday drew a distinction between the pseudonyms used by Filipino heroes during the revolutionary period and the aliases appearing in receipts submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for its confidential funds. In a Palace press briefing, Press Officer Claire Castro said Senator-judge Robin Padilla's comparison of the two situations should be viewed in the proper context.
According to Philippines News Agency, Padilla had compared the aliases appearing in OVP receipts, including Mary Grace Piattos, Andy Lim, Pagong, Pusa, and Belat, with the pseudonyms and code names used by Filipino heroes. 'Hindi tayo huhusga at hahayaan natin ang mga kababayan at ang mga senador ang siyang humusga rito (We will not judge, and we will leave it to our fellow Filipinos and the senators to make their own judgment),' Castro said.
Castro, however, pointed to a key difference between the two, saying the identities of the Filipino heroes who used pseudonyms were known, while the identities of the individuals named in the OVP receipts have yet to be established. 'Ang mga bayani noon, kahit gumamit ng pseudonym ay alam nating totoong tao. Sa ngayon, ang mga resibong naipakita, hindi natin alam kung totoong tao o sila ay multo or mga ghost beneficiaries (Even though the heroes of that time used pseudonyms, we knew that they were real people. In this case, based on the receipts presented, we do not know whether these were real people or ghosts, or ghost beneficiaries),' she said.
Castro said Filipino heroes used pseudonyms to conceal their identities while writing and fighting to defend Filipinos during the colonial period. She added that the country's heroes served the nation without expecting payment, while the individuals identified in the receipts were allegedly paid for their roles as informants. 'Ang mga bayani noon ay lumalaban para sa bayan nang walang bayad. Pero iyong mga tumutulong na mga informant, informer sa kasalukuyan ay mukhang hindi kikilos nang walang bayad (The heroes of that time fought for the country without pay. But those who currently serve as informants seem unlikely to act without compensation),' she said.
'Para sa kaalaman ng mga kabataan, kung ito ang pagkukumparahin natin, ang mga bayani noon ay lumalaban para sa bayan, itinatago ang pagkakakilanlan para sa bayan, pero iyong iba ngayon, itinatago ang pagkakakilanlan para sa bayad (For the benefit of the younger generation, if we are to compare the two, the heroes of that time fought for the country and concealed their identities for the sake of the nation, while others today conceal their identities for payment),' Castro added.
Castro said the Palace respects Padilla's right to express his views but maintained that the differences between the two situations are clear. She said the Palace's position was not intended to judge Padilla but to clarify that the heroes' use of pseudonyms was not intended to conceal payments. Padilla on Wednesday defended the use of aliases in the disbursement of the OVP's confidential funds, citing historical figures such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and Apolinario Mabini who used pseudonyms and code names to conceal their identities from Spanish authorities. He said the use of aliases is necessary to maintain secrecy in confidential operations.
