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Plunder complaint filed against presidential front runner

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Philippine senator and vice presidential candidate Senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows a document during a press conference in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Senator Trillanes has filed a corruption complaint against the presidential race front runner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte alleging he charged salaries for 11,000 non-existent government employees. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) (The Associated Press)

Philippine senator and vice presidential candidate Senator Antonio Trillanes IV gestures as he answers questions from reporters in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Senator Trillanes has filed a corruption complaint against the presidential race front runner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte alleging he charged salaries for 11,000 non-existent government employees. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) (The Associated Press)

A protester displays a placard after temporarily blocking traffic during a protest against the candidacies of front-running presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte and vice-presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son of the late Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos Thursday, May 5, 2016, at suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. Both Duterte and Marcos are topping recent poll surveys leading to Monday's Presidential elections. Sign with the words “Rape is Not a Joke!” is protesting comments made by Duterte regarding an Australian missionary who was assaulted and killed by prisoners in 1989. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

A Philippine senator has filed a corruption complaint against the front runner in the country's presidential race, alleging he charged salaries for 11,000 non-existent government employees.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed the complaint Thursday against Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte before the Ombudsman, days after he released leaked documents purportedly showing Duterte has 2.4 billion pesos ($51 million) in undeclared wealth in various bank accounts. Duterte denies amassing ill-gotten wealth.

Thursday's complaint says ghost employee salaries in 2014 cost Davao City 708 million pesos ($15 million) and that a 2015 Commission on Audit report questioned the lack of documents to prove they were working.

The next step is for the Ombudsman to investigate the charge, and if it finds probable cause a charge will be filed before an anti-graft court.