GRAFT CASE | Ex-QC councilor Roderick Paulate found guilty of hiring ghost contractors

December 2, 2022 , 06:57 PM

By Clarist Zablan

(December 2, 2022) – The anti-graft court has sentenced an actor-turned politician to more than 60 years in jail after finding him guilty of graft and falsification of public documents when he hired ghost employees during his first term as a Quezon City councilor in 2010.

In a 130-page decision, the Sandiganbayan 7th Division sentenced Roderick Paulate of up to 62 years of imprisonment and fined him about P90,000 for violation of anti-graft laws, one count of falsification of public officer and eight counts of falsification of public documents. He was also disqualified from holding public office.

The court ruled that Paulate hired 30 fictitious job contractors by recommending their hiring in 2010 despite them having no records of birth and residence, causing the government to lose nearly P1.11 million that were disbursed supposedly for paying their salaries.

His driver liaison officer Vicente Bajamunde was also found guilty of violating the anti-graft law over allegations of collecting the payrolls on Paulate’s behalf, but he was acquitted of accusations of falsifying documents.

“The fraudulent scheme employed by accused Paulate and Bajamunde caused undue injury to the Government in the amount of P1,109,000.00, which was disbursed as payment for the alleged work done when in fact no work or services were rendered,” the decision read.

The court ordered Paulate and Bajamunde to pay the government around P1.11 million, the total wages paid to the supposed contractors, with interest of 6% per annum.

The Office of the Ombudsman indicted Paulate of the charges in 2018 after it found in its investigation that he was one of the government officials in the Quezon City Hall who allegedly hired ghost employees.

In 2016, the Ombudsman ordered Paulate’s dismissal from service over the alleged hiring of ghost employees, but the Court of Appeals reversed the ruling.

Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses penned the decision, which was promulgated on November 25 but released to the public on Friday. Associate Justices Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta, the chair of the division, and Georgina Hidalgo concurred.

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