Manila: The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said it would implement more stringent internal financial safeguard mechanisms after an entrapment operation uncovered a scheme by one of its employees to siphon PHP12 million in payroll funds. "The DOJ takes very seriously the arrest of a DOJ payroll officer in connection with an alleged diversion of public funds," DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said in a statement.

According to Philippines News Agency, the DOJ has extended full cooperation to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and other authorities as they pursue the investigation. The DOJ remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the protection of public resources, and will continue to strengthen internal controls to ensure that a similar situation does not occur in the future.

NBI spokesperson Palmer Mallari stated that the DOJ referred the case to the bureau after payroll irregularities were discovered involving benefits intended for regional prosecutors. Initial investigation showed the suspect reactivated payroll accounts of retired, resigned, and inactive prosecutors and redirected the benefits to accounts linked to him.

The NBI conducted an entrapment operation on Dec. 22 at the DOJ Payroll Section in Manila after confirming that government bonuses, including the Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) and Service Recognition Incentive (SRI), had been credited to the accounts linked to the suspect. The suspect and several alleged accomplices were charged with malversation of public funds, graft, qualified theft, and multiple cybercrime-related offenses.