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Ombudsman files graft, falsification raps against Roderick Paulate over ‘ghost employees’


The Ombudsman has filed graft and multiple counts of falsification charges against Quezon City Councilor Roderick Paulate for allegedly maintaining 30 ghost employees under the payroll of the city council in 2010.

Paulate and his liaison officer Vicente Esquilon Bajamunde were charged with one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act before the Sandiganbayan.

Paulate also faces one count of falsification by a public officer and eight counts of falsification of public document.

Paulate and Bajamunde are accused of conspiring for the hiring of fictitious job contractors for personal gain.

Paulate allegedly ordered his chief of staff to prepare questionable Personal Data Sheets and falsified job orders, which he all signed as the recommending authority.

The documents were submitted to the Office of the Vice Mayor for approval, to the City Budget Officer for salary allocation, and to the City Personnel Officer for record purposes.

Paulate allegedly issued certifications stating that the 30 listed contractual employees worked for 40 hours per week and authorized Bajamunde to collect their salaries from July 1 to November 15, 2010 in the sum of P1.1 million.

The prosecution said the 30 personnel were supposedly hired after they attested that they have no relatives working in the city council, they have not been dismissed from the service, and they have not reached the mandatory retirement age of 65.

However, investigations revealed that Paulate and Bajamunde caused the "falsification of the signatures of the purported payees and collect the full amount of the falsely signed payroll."

The funds for the salaries of the ghost employees were allegedly released after Bajamunde affixed false signatures while Paulate's authorization letter was done without special powers of attorney from the supposed payees.

A total bail bond of P246,000 has been recommended in the case of Paulate, while Bajamunde needs to post P222,000 for his provisional liberty.

The Ombudsman had ordered the dismissal from the service of Paulate after finding the councilor guilty of falsification of official documents, serious dishonesty and grave misconduct over the hiring of the ghost employees.

The Court of Appeals, however, had cleared Paulate from his administrative charges and ordered the reversal of the Ombudsman's order.

GMA News Online is still trying to reach the camp of Paulate for comment. —ALG/RSJ, GMA News

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