Ex-COA commissioner Heidi Mendoza launches Senate bid, advocates for budget literacy
MANILA, Philippines — Heidi Mendoza, a former Commission on Audit (COA) commissioner and United Nations undersecretary general, is vying for a Senate seat after filing her certificate of candidacy on Tuesday, October 8.
Mendoza said that she felt compelled to run, expressing how fed up she is to see the same politicians repeatedly seeking public office.
Watching the congressional probe into the extrajudicial killings and illegal operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), she explained that she could no longer stomach the loss of hope caused by the actions of government officials.
“I ask myself, ‘What is this?’ I don't think I can stomach the lack of hope when I look at those who really have the audacity to run,” Mendoza said in Filipino.
Mendoza believes that it is about time to put an end to the election of the same old politicians and families in government.
“Maybe we need to put a stop to it. People are saying it's always the same people or that there is no one else … I am here, bravely offering myself,” she said.
Who is Mendoza?
Mendoza can be remembered as the state auditor who exposed anomalous transactions in the Makati City government under the terms of former mayors Elenita and Jejomar Binay, who are husband and wife.
These irregularities include the purchase of overpriced medical supplies and the costly construction of the city hall’s parking building.
Other cases she has worked on as an auditor, revealing corrupt practices, include bribery and money laundering allegations against former Major General Carlos Garcia, as well as the misappropriation of government funds by former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Zacaria Candao.
While Mendoza only decided to file her candidacy on Sunday, October 6, she also mentioned that she has been contemplating how to contribute to genuine government reforms since 2021.
“Since I helped with the campaign in 2021, I prepared myself, thinking about how I could contribute to real reforms. And I was surprised when people came out and joined the campaign,” she said in Filipino.
Despite not having a team handling her campaign yet, Mendoza chooses to run in hopes that people would recall her decades worth of experience fighting corruption in the government.
Empowering budget literacy
The former state auditor is looking to pass legislation that will teach Filipinos about the government’s financial activities, including how transactions are being audited because “it is the people’s money.”
Mendoza said that the government's approach to handling its budget — from crafting legislation to implementing projects — lacks both information and transparency.
She cited the Office of the President’s budget, noting how lawmakers often impose significant increases on the proposed budget, as reflected in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Unprogrammed funds. The former state auditor’s example can be observed in the budget allocations for the government’s unprogrammed appropriations, or standby funds, which are under the president’s office.
RELATED: Unprogrammed funds on the rise: Questions that hound the 2024 budget
In 2023, the executive branch requested P588 billion in unprogrammed funds, but Congress opted to increase this amount by 37%, raising it to P807 billion.
This also occurred in 2024 when the unprogrammed funds in the GAA were more than double the proposed allocation, increasing it from P281.9 billion to P731.4 billion.
“Like the budget proposed by the president, it is far from what was approved and became the GAA, but we don't hear anything from the people,” Mendoza said
She added that not a lot of people raise concerns about this due to a lack of understanding of how the country’s budget is deliberated, noting that one can only “discover this information if they advocate for it in Congress.”
"That’s why I took the initiative to continue talking about it, educating people about budget information, promoting transparency, and empowering the citizens," the former state auditor said in Filipino.
On pork barrel. Concerning the abolishment of any form of pork barrel, Mendoza said it has yet to be studied because it can serve as a “redistributive function” to support students’ education or cover hospitalization costs.
However, she said that she is open to removing this option from the government if the funds are spent inappropriately.
Mendoza was appointed as COA commissioner in 2011 and later nominated to serve as the undersecretary general for the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services in 2015.
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