4 ex-Malabon officials charged for payroll padding

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of charges against four former Malabon city government officials for allegedly padding the payroll three years ago.

Edgardo Casimero, former human resource department head; Rosa Vilma de Jesus, administrative officer 2; Magdalena Sebulino, bookbinder; and Rosalie Bernardo, administrative aide 6, are set to be indicted before the Sandiganbayan on charges of graft and estafa through falsification of public documents.

The Office of the Ombudsman, based on its investigation, found that from December to January 2013, Bernardo and De Jesus were overpaid by P1.14 million. 

The Commission on Audit (COA) issued an audit observation memorandum, citing a confirmation letter from the Land Bank of the Philippines certifying that there were overpayments.

In his counter-affidavit, Casimero claimed his signatures on the payroll were forged and that he did not know the password for the Financial Data Entry System, the payroll system used by the city government.

De Jesus stated in her counter-affidavit that Bernardo persuaded her to go along with the plan to pad their salaries because she “was assured that it would be done smoothly.”

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ruled that “respondents Sebulino, Casimero, Bernardo and De Jesus conspired with one another to tamper and pad the payroll in favor of Bernardo and De Jesus.”