Heidi Mendoza dares Baligod to name COA execs in P500-M pork barrel scam

(UPDATED 4:37 p.m.) Commission on Audit commissioner Heidi Mendoza on Friday challenged lawyer Levito Baligod to identify the four state auditors, including one commissioner, who he said were involved in the recently exposed version of the pork barrel scam.

Mendoza assured the public that no one from among the present commissioners is involved in the latest batch of cases filed before the Ombudsman involving the alleged misuse of Priority Development Fund allocations worth P500 million.

"Kapag ready tayong mag-akusa, kailangan meron tayong ebidensya," Mendoza told reporters.

“I can say with certainty that the commissioner [allegedly involved in the PDAF scam] is not a current member of COA…Sana ay ilabas po ang ebidensya at i-file ang karampatang kaso kung meron man,” she added.

Mendoza made the remarks a day after Baligod told GMA News that four officials of the Commission on Audit were in connivance with the participants in the latest pork barrel scam cases involving P500 million.

Baligod said the COA officials are involved in the malversation through falsification of public documents case that he filed against 20 lawmakers on Wednesday before the Office of Ombudsman.

"Mas seryoso iyong sinasabi ng witnesses natin dito. Hindi lang nagbulag-bulagan, ang ilang opisyal pa ng COA, iyong opisyal pa ng COA ang nagturo kung paano doktorin iyong mga dokumento na iyan para lang ma-liquidate iyong pondo," Baligod said.

Baligod did not release the names of the COA officials, but he said that one of them is a commissioner. However, he is uncertain whether they are still with the agency.

Prove allegations

Mendoza, however, assured that the COA will conduct an investigation as soon as Baligod substantiates his allegation through a formal complaint.
 
“File the appropriate case, reveal the [names of] auditors, so that we can conduct our own investigation,” Mendoza said.
 
“Handa po tayong mag imbestiga, hindi naming kukunsintihin ang kahit na sinong tao sa COA,” Mendoza added.
 
She said the Commission has an ongoing fact-finding investigation on PDAF related cases involving 70 state auditors.
 
Mendoza said there are currently 8,241 employees of COA.

No COA auditor at NABCOR

Mendoza, meanwhile, denied the sworn affidavits of former National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) employees Rhodora Mendoza and Victor Roman Cacal saying that NABCOR president Alan Javellana was able to circumvent rules on proper release of PDAF funds from 2007 to 2009 due to his connections with some COA resident auditors in NABCOR.
 
“Ang NABCOR po ay hindi naming nilagyan ng resident auditor during that period. Team approach po kami sa NABCOR, meaning isang team ang pinapadala sa ahensiya [to conduct the audit],” Mendoza said.  -NB, GMA News