Sotto tells impeach court: Name is fake if there is no person behind it

MANILA, Philippines – Senator-judge Vicente “Tito” Sotto III reminded the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday that names could only be considered an alias if there is a person behind it, but otherwise, it is fake.

In the last few weeks, as the court tackled Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, acknowledgement receipts signed by several people with seemingly suspicious names resembling that of famous food brands, fruits, Filipino phrases and even local politicians surfaced.

The signatories included the likes of Mary Grace Piattos, Andy Lim, Miggy Mango, and Kristine Applegate Estrada.

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READ: Padilla says Ninoy himself used alias; but Bam Aquino says he had no CF

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“If there is a person behind the alias, then it is an alias. If there is no person behind the name, it is a fictitious name or a fake name,” Sotto said in a manifestation. 

Sotto was citing Republic Act No. 6085, which regulates the use of aliases. 

“For the public and for us, the general rule that she mentioned is Republic Act No. 6085, regulating the use of aliases, which only allowed in the Philippines [the use of] pseudonyms, solely for literary, cinema, television and other entertainment purposes,” Sotto noted.

It was counsel for the prosecution Mae Divinagracia who brought up the law on aliases, after Senator-judge Robin Padilla sought to justify the use of aliases by noting that even national heroes used them. /jpv