MANILA — Authorities have arrested personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) over their alleged involvement in an illicit scheme that allows them to make small deductions from the salaries of other employees, which they transfer to their accounts.

In a statement, the MMDA said authorities last week discovered the "scheme perpetrated by some employees under the Payroll Division."

The undisclosed number of personnel "found a way to manipulate the computerized payroll system" of the agency and "unlawfully took small amounts from the salaries of targeted employees, and diverted those amounts to their own accounts," according to the MMDA.

MMDA Chairman Don Artes, a lawyer, filed the complaint against the employees, and General Manager Procopio Lipana led the arrest, the agency said.

It said further investigation unearthed a "deeper conspiracy" that involved "other employees."

The MMDA said it was preparing formal complaints against the employees, noting "a strong case build-up is being done for the filing of non-bailable charges against the perpetrators."

The MMDA personnel were placed under preventive suspension and their work computers were secured.

The agency said an internal audit and investigation were underway and that safety measures were implemented to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

The MMDA said it would make sure that all responsible would be prosecuted and punished accordingly.