Filipino heroes who used pseudonyms during the country’s fight for independence did so to conceal their identities, while it is still unsure if those who used fake names in the acknowledgement receipts for the Office of the Vice President’s confidential funds actually correspond to real people, Malacañang said on Thursday.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace press officer Claire Castro drew a distinction between the two instances.
“Ang mga bayani noon ay lumalaban para sa bayan, itinatago ang pagkakakilanlan para sa bayan. Pero ’yung iba ngayon itinatago ang pagkakakilanlan para sa bayad,” Castro said.
She made the remarks after Senator Robin Padilla compared the use of aliases by Filipino heroes during the Philippine Revolution and the aliases appearing in receipts tied to the OVP’s confidential funds.
Padilla invoked the use of pseudonyms by historical figures to explain why aliases could be used in confidential operations.
“Siguro ang mga bayani noon ay lumalaban para sa bayan nang walang bayad,” Castro pointed out.
“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,” she added.
Castro said the senator is free to make comparisons, but it is important not to mislead young Filipinos about the country’s heroes.
“Kinakailangan din po nating maipakita kung ano ba ang katotohanan para hindi rin po maligaw ang ating mga kabataan kung ano ba ang talagang naging papel ng ating mga bayani noon, gumagamit man ng pseudonym pero hindi para itago ang bayad,” she said.