BY NICK GIONGCO
An alleged payroll fraud committed by one of its employees has forced the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to ask for the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), PSC deputy executive director Guillermo Iroy bared on Tuesday.
In a letter dated July 10, 2020 and addressed to NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor, PSC executive director Merlita Ibay identified the employee as Paul Michael Padua Ignacio of the Personnel Department.
Sources within the PSC disclosed that Ignacio has collected a total of P14 million the last five years by way of including his account number to the list of athletes and coaches who receive monthly allowances from the PSC.
Ibay said Ignacio allegedly included names of athletes and coaches who were no longer on the list of recipients and likewise made it appear that he was also a beneficiary of the PSC’s juicy perk.
Ibay sensed something was amiss upon receiving a letter dated July 7, 2020 from Land Bank assistant vice-president Marrieta Cabusao on “unusual payroll transactions credited to Ignacio’s account.”
Ignacio is tasked by the PSC to handle the release of the monthly allowances of a certain number of athletes and coaches.
Commissioner and PSC officer-in-charge Mon Fernandez said the PSC has vowed to look deeper into the case “to protect the interest of its stakeholders and the Filipino people.”
Ignacio has been with the PSC since 2001 starting with a stint in the agency’s IT Department.
“We have sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation on the matter so we cannot comment further. Suffice it to say that there were red-flags which alerted us, and so we acted accordingly. We hope that we can get to the truth and bring the accountable to justice swiftly,” said Fernandez in a statement.
