Trillanes claims Makati LGU has ghost employees in payroll

The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation on the corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay is far from over as Senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed Wednesday that he has evidence to prove that Makati City has ghost employees. 

 

"Pakisabi na lang sa City Hall na mag-ready na sila sa katanungan at in relation to the ghost employees na ilalabas natin sa subsequent hearings," Trillanes, a staunch critic of Binay, said. 

 

Vissa Marie Aldon, head of the Human Resources Department at the Makati City Hall, denied Trillanes' allegation, confident that the city government would be able to account for all of its salaried employees. 

 

"Pasensiya na po kayo kung ang ipe-present namin will contradict sa sinabi niyo na categorical walang ghost employee," Trillanes insisted. 

 

Aldon also confirmed to the subcommittee that Binay's executive assistant and longtime secretary Eduviges "Ebeng" Baloloy continues to receive her salary and benefits from the city government. 

 

Baloloy has allegedly left the country amid the string of corruption allegations against Binay. 

 

"She filed application for leave and was approved since last year," Aldon explained. 

 

Trillanes then directed the subcommittee to subpoena the document of payrolls and vouchers of City Hall employees. 

 

Acting Makati Mayor Romulo "Kid" Peña has since suspended the release of Baloloy's salary. Peña sits as acting mayor after the Vice President's son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, was ordered suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman. 

 

Undersecretary Cecilia Alba meanwhile testified during the hearing that Binay's alleged bagman Gerry Limlingan was hired as a consultant by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) which VP Binay used to head. 

 

"Mr. Gerry Limlingan was a consultant of HUDCC from August 2010, even before I came in. Since September, he has not been reporting to HUDCC so we issued a letter asking him to report within 15 days. We didn’t receive any communication anymore," she said. 

 

The contract was pre-terminated effective September 30, 2014. 

 

Alba said Limlingan used to receive a monthly salary of P25,000.

 

VP Binay quit his post as chairman of the HUDCC after he irrevocably resigned from the Aquino Cabinet last month.

The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee started its hearings in 2014 on alleged anomalies in Makati City such as the reported overpricing of the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II. VP Binay was the city mayor and his son Junjun was city councilor at the time of the bidding for the construction of the building. —KG, GMA News