Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez is back in harness and he isn’t stopping until he gets to the bottom of the payroll scam that recently stirred up the government sports body.
Back at work after taking some time off to tend to his sick wife, Ramirez has sought help from the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) after one of the organization’s own was apprehended for allegedly engaging in a “payroll-padding” scheme that let him embezzle over P14 million in a span of five years.
“We need all the help we can get to get to the bottom of this and make every effort that nothing of this sort ever happens again,” muttered Ramirez after convening with the PSC board.
Last week, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Paul Michael Ignacio after he was caught funneling money intended for national coaches and athletes to his own account.
Ramirez has already wrote to the OSG, seeking “assistance in instituting proper proceedings relative to the complaint filed against Paul Michael Ignacio.” The PSC chairman is also asking for the garnishment of all of Ignacio’s real or personal property so that the embezzled funds may be returned to the government.
In addition, Ramirez also pledged to fortify its auditing processes to make sure that an incident of this nature never happens again.
“We need fresh eyes to take a look at our processes and seek out areas that need to be strengthened,” Ramirez added. (JNP)