The Ombudsman has dismissed from service Quezon City officials Roderick Paulate and Francisco Calalay Jr. over ghost employees in the payroll of the city council.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found Paulate and Calalay guilty of the administrative offense of falsification of public documents, serious dishonesty, and grave misconduct, according to Rawnsle Lopez, acting director of the Ombudsman public information and media relations bureau.

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Incumbent Councilor Paulate, a former actor, and Quezon City Representative Calalay were also meted with perpetual disqualification from public office, cancellation of eligibility, as well as forfeiture of retirement benefits.

The Ombudsman found that Paulate and Calalay employed “job order personnel” who turned out to be fictitious persons.

Calalay had 29 ghost employees from January to November 2010, while Paulate had 30 from July to November 2010. These fictitious employees supposedly received P2,500 to P5,000 monthly wage each.

Calalay disbursed P2.175 million for the wages of his ghost employees, while Paulate disbursed P1.125 million, through submission of spurious personal data sheets and payrolls, the Ombudsman said.

The ghost employees purportedly served as field inspectors, district coordinators, and office aides, Lopez said.

Ombudsman investigation showed that these fictitious personnel did not have birth records from the National Statistics Office.

They are not registered voters of Quezon City, and have not secured National Bureau of Investigation clearances.

The ghost employees are also not known in the respective barangays where they allegedly reside.

The Ombudsman has filed charges of graft and malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents against Calalay and Paulate, as well as their respective liaison officers Flordeliza Alvarez and Vicente Bajamunde. RC

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