MANILA, Philippines -- Former Meycauayan City Mayor Eduardo Alarilla was charged Friday with plunder at the Office of Ombudsman for allegedly pocketing P80 million from over 200 “ghost projects” during his nine-year term as city mayor.

Former police chief retired Senior Superintendent Rolando Lorenzo and former city accountant Ma. Victoria Atienza on Friday filed the plunder complaint against Alarilla.

Lorenzo and Atienza were assisted by lawyer Andrew Amuyutan, the former chief legal counsel of the Ombudsman, in filing the case with the Ombudsman.

“This is like the plunder case of former President Estrada on a local scale,” said Amuyutan speaking in behalf of Lorenzo and Atienza.

Republic Act No. 7080 or the “Anti-Plunder Law” describes plunder as the direct or indirect amassing by a public official of at least P50 million in ill-gotten wealth through a combination or a series of acts.

Lorenzo, the main complainant, also accused Alarilla and his wife, Joan -- now the incumbent city mayor -- of malversation for allegedly falsifying public documents which allowed them to encash last year over P9 million through “ghost deliveries.”

Alarilla served as Meycauayan mayor for three terms from 1998 to 2007. His wife took over last June 2007 but he has been designated a consultant of the Meycauayan city government. As consultant, Alarilla supposedly still wields “the real power in the office of the mayor.”

In her affidavit, Atienza said Alarilla was able to withdraw from the city’s coffers a total of P80,232,364.86 through several sham projects which she concocted allegedly upon the advice of the former mayor.

“Mayor Eduardo Alarilla would convey to me what amount he needs for himself for the moment. He would either suggest what excuse of ghost transaction I should use, or just ask me to think up the excuse,” said Atienza, who resigned from her job of 20 years prior to the filing of the plunder case.

She or her assistant would then proceed to fill up a one-page temporary reference disbursement voucher, which she would then forward to the city treasurer “who has his standing instruction in such cases,” Atienza said.

Atienza said that in most instances, the dummy-payee was an unknowing supplier, who was chosen at random by the former mayor.

Lorenzo’s business firm, Rawland Construction and Development, was among the dummy firms used by Alarilla from time to time, Atienza said.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer failed to reach Alarilla, but in an interview aired over ABS-CBN Friday night, Alarilla denied the accusation.

He called Atienza’s allegation as “pure lie” and said he had her investigated for alleged irregularities. With a report from Inquirer Central Luzon