Palace no objections to proposed VIP protection for Mendoza

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has no objections against Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago's request to provide police protection for Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Heidi Mendoza following her testimony at the Senate on the allegedly anomalous Makati parking project.

"We have no objection. I understand si Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has written to the Secretary of Interior and Local Government for additional protection for Commissioner Mendoza," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.

Valte added that Malacañang will let Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas to determine if its necessary to provide police protection for Mendoza.

Santiago has urged that Mendoza be admitted to the government's Witness Protection Program after the COA commissioner informed the Senate that she received a call before she attended the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's hearing on the Makati parking building. She, however, declined to provide more details.

She also informed the committee that her house was ransacked months ago when she was testifying in the case against former Makati City mayor Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The vice president and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, are being probed for the alleged overpricing of the Makati parking building.

Mendoza had testified that the Makati City government, during the time of the lady Binay, overpriced the purchase of hospital equipment.

She said that a COA report discovered an overpricing of P61.2 million out of the total purchase price of P70.56 million in various medical equipment from a single supplier during the term of Mrs. Binay.