EDITORIAL - Ghost employees

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay continues to fend off accusations that he maintained so-called ghost employees in the payroll of the city government. The controversy at the Makati City Hall should prompt all other government offices to take a closer look at their payrolls.

The scandal is not unique to Makati. Apart from non-existent or ghost employees, there are also so-called 15-30 workers who go to government offices only to collect their paychecks every 15th and end of the month. In a related scandal, the military’s Retirement and Separation Benefits System was found to be paying out money to ghost pensioners.

President Arroyo said earlier this week that she wanted all government offices purged of ghost employees. Malacañang was quick to point out that the President’s order had nothing to do with Binay’s case. Whether or not this is true, the government must weed out non-existent employees and punish those who have collected salaries illegally. The President’s order was issued to Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, who was tasked to conduct a personnel audit of all government agencies, including government-owned or controlled corporations. Andaya said he would start by comparing the payrolls of government agencies with those in the files of his department.

If the administration undertakes a serious effort to purge the government of ghost employees, there will be massive roadblocks along the way. For the President’s order to be carried out properly, anti-corruption investigators may have to step in. Those involved in the maintenance of padded payrolls usually hold key positions and often end up being the ones tasked to supervise anti-corruption campaigns. Graftbusters will need assistance from insiders in government offices to catch those involved in maintaining ghost employees. A credible campaign must also have no sacred cows. Otherwise a genuine effort to stamp out corruption can easily be dismissed as a witch-hunt and political persecution.