Lim fires back: Moreno's office has 200 'ghost' workers

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno reportedly has more than 200 “ghost” employees on his payroll, according to the papers submitted by the city government to the Commission on Audit (COA).

The city government’s legal department said it submitted affidavits and certificates from three barangays following a request from the COA, which is reportedly conducting an investigation.

In a statement issued by Mayor Alfredo Lim’s office, the affidavits were executed by persons whose names reportedly appear on the payroll under the Office of the Vice Mayor. These persons denied receiving a salary from the OVM, either as consultants or researchers.

The three barangays issued certificates stating that some of the addresses by alleged OVM employees are non-existent; the address is correct but alleged OVM employee does not receive a salary from the OVM; or the supposed employee does not live or never lived at the indicated address.

At least two certificates stated that the address given under the names of two alleged employees’ actually belong to a barangay chairman and a barangay kagawad. Both barangay officials denied that the alleged OVM employees ever lived at their address.

Luwil Torres and Rosemarie Silva, whose names appear on the payroll, denied they had been employed by the OVM. Torres, 46, has been working as a tourist driver at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for nearly three years. Silva, 53, said she was shocked to learn that her name had been included in the payroll since 2008 when she had been employed with the Repertory Philippines as early as 2006.

Evejelyn Caingat, 42, denied that her husband, Dennis, is employed at the OVM since he had been working in New York since 2008.

Thelma Emutan’s mother, Remedios, said her daughter has been working as a hotel receptionist in Saudi Arabia for the past eight years and could not have worked at the OVM.

Theresa Noora, who said she was a watcher for Moreno during the 2010 elections, denied receiving P12,000 a month from the OVM at all. She said she has been approached by “Bano,” allegedly an OVM employee, two days after she learned that her name was on the payroll. She said Bano asked her to go to the vice mayor’s office the following Monday.

Alexander Toledo, who claimed to have known Moreno before he joined politics, said his communication with Moreno ceased when the actor joined politics.