Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan De Oro City: Credible? Yes! I bow three times to Heidi. I see her as lighting the fuse to an explosive the military has not seen in a long, long while.
Ma. Theresa Hermano, Romblon: Only God knows whether Ms. Heidi Mendoza is telling the truth or not. In our country, nobody can be trusted anymore because of personal interest.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt
Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: I cannot find any shadow of doubt in the testimony of former state auditor Heidi Mendoza. She has made an immeasurable sacrifice and serves as a role model in the pursuit of excellence and service. I hope and pray more will follow her example.
Tony Gomez, Parañaque City: Very credible. Spontaneity is a quality of credibility.
Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: Beyond any doubt. The lady accountant/auditor is a courageous and fearless lady. Her honesty and truthfulness can be considered unique and beyond compare. She is to be admired on what she did and unlikely to be a heroine of our time. I salute you Ms. Heidi Mendoza.
Jun Cajucom, Tacloban City: The outpouring of support for her coming from different sectors suggests so.
Jun Montebon, Parañaque City: I find the testimony of Heidi Mendoza highly credible. Straight to the point, non-convoluted, no amnesia attack, unlike those of the accused mistahs.
Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: Yes, very credible. I just hope her testimony will give relevance to the case.
Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: Heidi Mendoza’s testimony is highly credible since she has been working as a state auditor with a good track record. She should be considered a heroine for exposing such anomalies of the AFP and therefore she deserves a commendation for risking her life and family for the sake of truth.
Richard Decena, Quezon City: Ang mga magsasabi po na hindi credible si Heidi ay ang mga taong sagad na sa buto ang kasamaan, kamag-anak nila, at mga bayarang media operators.
Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: Count her as a credible witness. Her lifestyle and character speak well of her kind. Look, the crocodiles are after her.
Let’s not get carried away
C.B. Manalastas, Manila: Mendoza looks and sounds credible but let’s wait until she can present enough evidence.
Lydia Reyes, Bataan: For me, all these accusations are plain mudslinging. Why only now?
Her courage is inspiring
Johann Lucas, Quezon City: Yes, it takes a lot of courage to do what she did, especially in the Philippines where people turn whistleblowers into pariahs.
Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: Incredibly credible. Heidi is fighting for the soldiers. I can see no equal to her courage.
Pitts Hizon, Pampanga: Yes, hats off to Heidi Mendoza for sacrificing her precious job from the COA, and later from Asian Development Bank. She resigned only to be free to testify on the irregularities and massive corruption in the AFP.
Dr. Francis Regalado, Muntinlupa City: Applause, and more applause for her. She’s a heroine, and she deserves an award. We pray that she stops corruption, or else we’re just going round in circles.
Larry Parroco, Quezon City: Of course. I believe in her because she knows what she is talking about and she is not afraid to expose everything. What a brave woman.
Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: Heidi Mendoza is just one rare bird that tweets credibly on anomalies in the high echelons of the military establishment. Her testimony is bolstered by the exposé made by retired Lt. Col. George Rabusa. Both of them have braved the danger of being on the side of truth and we hope that such courage will galvanize the courage of those who are in the know about massive corruption in the military to boldly come to the fore to help clean this institution that is supposed to be the guardian of our people’s and our country ‘s security.
Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City: Her testimony is very credible. What other things are necessary to pin down the accused is no longer her responsibility. My! I just love her courage.
Robert Young Jr., San Juan: If a witness tells the truth and in Ms. Mendoza’s case she supported her testimony with voluminous documentary evidence, no amount of cross-examination can break her credibility. Ms Mendoza’s testimony is credible to its last minute detail. It is rare for someone to sacrifice so much to testify against seemingly omnipotent groups that are trying to cover up a plunder case of an ex-general in that it can affect so many in the government. Ms. Mendoza, I salute your sense of righteousness and patriotism. Your name will now be among those of our modern heroes. May your tribe increase. Mabuhay ka!
She has nothing to gain
Jim Veneracion, Naga City: Actually, I find Mendoza more credible than Rabusa. As a non-AFP member and an outsider, she will be devoid of any ulterior motive.
Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: Like Clarissa Ocampo, what does she stand to gain out of this if not the dignity of her person and the respect of her profession? She should not allow herself to be politicized, unlike Jun Lozada.
Elmo Cruz, Manila: Ms. Heidi Mendoza’s concern for the ordinary soldiers and for the Filipino people on top of her loyalty to her profession emboldened her resolve to expose the truth despite the risk to her person and her family. Ruel Bautista, Laguna: Unless she knew beforehand then AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia and there was bad blood existing between them, I see nothing in her testimony except credibility.
Chances are, it would depend on whose fence one belongs. But she’s got everything to lose and almost nothing to gain from it, making her credible.
Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: She is more credible than other witnesses as she went about her financial audit of the AFP thoroughly and she has nothing to gain for testifying the truth except risking her own safety. Her concern to establish the truth beyond reasonable doubt and her passion in observing professional ethics put to shame some high-ranking AFP officials.
Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: She merely acted upon the request of former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo to conduct a financial audit on the AFP in 2004 in connection with the plunder case filed against AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia. State auditor Heidi Mendoza has no personal interest on the case except abiding by her duty. Former military budget officer, ret. Lt. Col. George Rabusa, corroborated her findings recently. Despite the years gone by after her first testimony, she remains firm about it up to now. Her financial audit based on documents she gathered from the AFP records despite being in disarray and her objectivity supported by her academic accomplishments and professional experience speak well of her credibility as a resource person regarding the cases against Gen. Garcia and the AFP chiefs of staff.
May the case prosper
Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: Yes, I hope and pray that the case will prosper and that the perpetuators get jailed.
Ed Gulmatico, Abu Dhabi: The mere fact that she’s risking her life, career, future and especially her and her family’s safety with her selfless act of exposing manipulation and corruption in the military makes her testimony highly credible. She now faces the gravest threat in her life against high-ranking, influential and very powerful people in our country along with their code of Omerta principle and practice within the military society. We hope that Congress and the Senate will not dilly-dally with these inquiries /investigations and make it again (only) an extension of their grandstanding schemes. We pray for Ms. Heidi Mendoza and the Filipino people.
Dennis Vibandor, Camarines Sur: Definitely. There are still civil servants whose ideals are not yet infected by the fang of corruption in the corrupt-ridden Philippine government. I pray that her sacrifices will not end with the investigation. We want to see some of the perpetrators put behind bars.
Nothing will happen
J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City:Definitely, but I think nothing is going to happen because the people who will make the last decision on the case of Garcia are all going to get paid and Garcia will go scot-free. That is the way it is in this country. If you steal millions, just pay the judges and the prosecutors and keep the rest of the money you stole and enjoy your life with your family, but when you die, good ol’ Satan will be waiting for you with a big grin on his face.
She needs help
Pedro Alagano Jr., Vigan City: Yes, but the testimony should be corroborated by other sources coupled with documentary evidence to be able to withstand rebuttal in a court of law. Otherwise, it becomes a mere self-serving allegation, good only to earn a favorable verdict in the court of public opinion.
Felix Ramento, USA: Yes, but her findings must have the support of her superiors and the COA itself, an independent and constitutional government body tasked for the purpose, as a testament of truth. Ms. Mendoza must not be left alone at the mercy of the elements. It is the COA’s mission to clean up this mess.
She reminds us of Clarissa Ocampo
Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: Heidi Mendoza is the new Clarissa Ocampo who testified versus Erap during the Jose Velarde account hearing. Attagirl! The honest sector is behind you.
She deserves our support
William Gonzaga, Marikina City: Absolutely. Considering that the very institution where she worked for so many years has issued some contradictory statements practically impugning to some extent her credibility, the more her stature is enhanced amidst the cynical and quizzical public. Considering further that the personalities involved happen to be PGMA’s generals to whom she owed her more than nine-year rule, an intense demolition job to undermine her credibility can be naturally expected from various sources with self-serving motives. People yearning for genuine reforms in our government and society must rally behind Heidi Mendoza’s quest for unblemished truth.
Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Absolutely. Jesus was crucified for speaking the truth and I hope Ms. Heidi Mendoza is prepared for the consequences but, if I can have my way, I would gather a multitude of God fearing and peace-loving Filipinos to watch over this wonderful and brave woman to be sure that she would be safe until those hooligans and corrupt former military generals shall have been banished from the face of the earth.
She raises the Filipino a notch higher
Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: Yes, she’s a credible witness that’s why the DOJ placed her under the witness protection program. In doing what she did, she has raised the Filipino a notch higher. The government should protect her from harm’s way. She has risked her life by testifying on what she believes is the truth about massive corruption in the AFP.
Too credible to dismiss
Cris Rivera, Rizal: It’s a revelation devastatingly too close to reality. Wake up P-Noy, show us the gem of a leader in you.
Until when?
Kolby Locano, Urdaneta City: I sympathize with her. I would even cry for and with her. But whistle blowers like her are like a spark in the night. We love to watch that millisecond spark but after that, the sky would be engulfed in darkness again, waiting for another spark to come and go. She put her life on the line to satisfy the lust for blood of the spectators watching and shouting for support but, until when?
Singson Pleads Guilty To Drug Trafficking in HK
Eldy Bones, Metro Manila: Drug test, psychology test, and lifestyle check. Lahat ‘yan dapat gawin from the President down to the rank and file.
Ari Luis Halos, Metro Manila: Why do I suddenly feel high (pun intended)? I am ecstatic because some no-good politician may finally get what he deserves. A much better high than meth, I think.
Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.
NEXT INBOX QUESTION: Do you believe that the live coverage of court trials would help to improve the dispensation of justice in our country?
You may also email your views to: inbox@philstar.com.ph.
(Editor’s Note: We have just added another channel to reach Inbox World via the growing Facebook community. If you have a Facebook account, add up PhilStar Inbox and give us a glimpse of your views on raging issues of the day. Selected comments will be published in The Philippine STAR Inbox World. Readers may also post intriguing questions for other Inbox friends to comment on. See you there.)