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MANILA, Philippines - Former Commission on Audit (COA) employee
Heidi Mendoza found another adoring fan in the usually stuck-up Senator
Miriam Defensor Santiago.
In a statement, Santiago said: “I love Heidi Mendoza. I admire her a
lot. She must be a very brave woman. We in the public must try and give
her support as much as possible.”
The COA auditor on Tuesday revealed that her former boss, former
chairman Guillermo Carague, told her to go easy on the investigation
being done on the corruption case against former military comptroller
Carlos Garcia.
“We must presume that her duty has been regularly performed. That is
the presumption under the Rules of Court. Now, if we grant her that
presumption, then we presume that it is true that certain auditors told
her to ‘go easy,’” Santiago stressed.
This in itself is already a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, she added.
“The Anti-Graft law makes it a crime if you persuade, influence or
instigate somebody to break the law or to break rules and regulations.
So her accusers, at this stage, stand accused of the Anti-Graft and
Corrupt Practices Law,” Santiago said.
The lawmaker previously claimed there is widespread corruption in
the military. In a privilege speech in 2004, she said that almost P1.44
billion is lost every year due to this.
“It must be more than that today because I delivered that speech in
2004. So I can just imagine how much has been lost from our government
especially from our foot soldiers themselves,” she added.
Santiago said the revelations from Mendoza, as well as the statement
from former military budget officer George Rabusa, should get the
wheels turning.
“My only handicap at that time was that I could not produce an
eyewitness who of course is willing to brave the trials and tribulations
of testifying against very powerful and very rich people,” Santiago
said.
MANILA, Philippines - Former Commission on Audit (COA) employee
Heidi Mendoza found another adoring fan in the usually stuck-up Senator
Miriam Defensor Santiago.
In a statement, Santiago said: “I love Heidi Mendoza. I admire her a
lot. She must be a very brave woman. We in the public must try and give
her support as much as possible.”
The COA auditor on Tuesday revealed that her former boss, former
chairman Guillermo Carague, told her to go easy on the investigation
being done on the corruption case against former military comptroller
Carlos Garcia.
“We must presume that her duty has been regularly performed. That is
the presumption under the Rules of Court. Now, if we grant her that
presumption, then we presume that it is true that certain auditors told
her to ‘go easy,’” Santiago stressed.
This in itself is already a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, she added.
“The Anti-Graft law makes it a crime if you persuade, influence or
instigate somebody to break the law or to break rules and regulations.
So her accusers, at this stage, stand accused of the Anti-Graft and
Corrupt Practices Law,” Santiago said.
The lawmaker previously claimed there is widespread corruption in
the military. In a privilege speech in 2004, she said that almost P1.44
billion is lost every year due to this.
“It must be more than that today because I delivered that speech in
2004. So I can just imagine how much has been lost from our government
especially from our foot soldiers themselves,” she added.
Santiago said the revelations from Mendoza, as well as the statement
from former military budget officer George Rabusa, should get the
wheels turning.
“My only handicap at that time was that I could not produce an
eyewitness who of course is willing to brave the trials and tribulations
of testifying against very powerful and very rich people,” Santiago
said.