COA's Heidi Mendoza: Why block my confirmation for doing my job?

"Why should an honest auditor pay the consequences of cases filed using her audits?"

This was Commission on Audit (COA) commissioner Heidi Mendoza's statement before the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Tuesday as she made an impassioned plea before the bicameral body to give her confirmation a chance.

"Hindi ako nagsinungaling. Hindi ako nagnakaw. Hindi ako nakasuhan. Ang tanging kasalanan ko lang ay nag-file ng kaso sa may ambisyon na maging presidente," Mendoza told the CA committee on constitutional commissions and offices.

She was apparently referring to the graft case filed against Vice President Jejomar Binay's wife, Elenita, where Mendoza served as witness in 2012.

Lawyer Mariano Sarmiento, a partner in the law firm handling graft cases against Mrs. Binay, has repeatedly opposed Mendoza's confirmation.

During Tuesday's hearing, Sarmiento accused Mendoza of drawing media attention to Mrs. Binay's graft case.

"Throughout the years of deposition, there was no media attention... Why is it that it was only that moment [Mendoza's testimony] that you have media coverage? I think we are drawing a valid deduction here," he said.

In response, Mendoza said she does not have any resources to control the media. She added that she was only invited as witness and was not the one prosecuting Mrs. Binay's graft case.

Another private individual, Antonio Besana, opposed Mendoza's confirmation for her supposed "incompetence" and violation of Constitutional provisions.

Mendoza was appointed as COA commissioner in 2011 after exposing corruption in the military, particularly those allegedly involving former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.

'Attack dog'

Senator Nancy Binay, the vice-president's daughter, meanwhile said that Mendoza does not deserve to be confirmed by the CA because the audit official is an "attack dog of people with ambitions." Senator Binay did not name these people.

"Based on the report I gathered, talagang nagagamit siya," Senator Binay told reporters in a separate interview.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada has earlier threatened to block Mendoza's confirmation as audit commissioner. He even sent a letter to the CA committee stating his intention to propound questions to Mendoza.

Asked about Estrada's plan to block her confirmation, Mendoza told reporters after the hearing that she is just "excited" to face the senator.

During the hearing, however, the audit commissioner clarified that she was not involved in the COA report released last year showing how Estrada supposedly funneled pork barrel funds to bogus foundations linked to detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Mendoza said the audit was conducted by the Office for Special Audit, which reports directly to the audit chairperson.

During the same hearing, the CA committee on constitutional commissions and offices endorsed the confirmation of Election commissioners Luie Guia and Al Parreno. — KBK, GMA News