The ghost employee scandal that’s been giving the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) leadership a headache since its discovery months ago is nearing a resolution.
The BSP launched an exhaustive probe in early April after verifying and obtaining solid evidence following a tip from a whistleblower.
Meanwhile, the four identified ghost employees belonging to the offices of two Monetary Board (MB) members will likely be fired and will be asked to return their salaries going back several years, an insider close to the matter said.
The fate of the two Duterte-era MBs, who have yet to reply to an InsiderPH request for comment, is a trickier matter and will be left for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to decide as the appointing authority.
The MBs were not asked to take a leave of absence during the investigation. But within the BSP’s ranks, there is still hope they will do what is best for the institution.
“We would very much like an orderly exit, if necessary,” the insider said.
Of course, the BSP is mindful of the reputational damage this unprecedented legal and ethical breach has caused.
The good news is the central bank’s leadership, under governor Eli Remolona Jr., moved quickly to investigate the matter, leading to the relatively swift conclusion, which we can expect in the coming weeks.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
