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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
Former Commission on Audit commissioner Heidi Mendoza speaks during a public forum.
Heidi Mendoza FB page
The alleged threat comes after the former commissioner's interview in which she said that Sara Duterte’s office must disclose to the COA the names of informants who received confidential funds
MANILA, Philippines – Former Commission on Audit commissioner and senatorial aspirant Heidi Mendoza has cried foul over what she described as a death threat posted on X, formerly Twitter, by a supporter of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The X account @mongramosjr posted a message on March 2, stating that if personal details of confidential informants were exposed, families should “unahin patumbahin si Heidi Mendoza (take down Heidi Mendoza first).”
The comment came in response to Mendoza’s February 27 interview on TV5’s Morning Matters in which she said that Duterte’s office must disclose the names of informants paid from the Vice President’s confidential funds to state auditors and Congress.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5 on charges including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The impeachment complaint includes allegations that Duterte illegally disbursed more than P600 million in confidential funds while serving as vice president and education secretary.
Mendoza fired off a post on X, warning that she was weighing legal action, even as she urged her supporters not to engage with the incendiary remark, saying that silence was the only way to stop it from catching fire.
Directly challenging the netizen, Mendoza sought a straight answer from Duterte’s supporter on whether the post constituted a personal threat.
Responding, @mongramosjr shot back, accusing Mendoza of slandering Duterte and jeopardizing the lives of OVP informants.
Mendoza said, “We must confront fake news for wrecking our nation and we should never take threats sitting by. A healthy discourse is what makes a healthy democracy. Without it, coupled with less comprehension, would corrupt it.”
She added, “To my followers, let us deny this troll the clout he is after. Disengage, do not reply or retweet. It would be a waste of your time and his gain if he gets the attention he craves.”
Mendoza also said threats would not silence her. “When you see injustice and corruption, silence is not an option. You have to be prepared to fight regardless of intimidation or risk of physical harm because public service is not about yourself but about common good.”
She pointed out that state audit guidelines require maintaining a separate ledger containing the informants’ real names and other personal information, which must be made available to the COA or Congress upon request.
She laid out the guidelines: details on confidential informants are strictly off-limits – accessible only to lawmakers scrutinizing the government budget or a COA body that includes only the chair and two commissioners.
Mendoza was serving as COA commissioner at the time the rules governing confidential and intelligence funds were established.
Lawmakers who voted to impeach Duterte said the vice president and former education secretary disbursed some P612.5 million in confidential funds from 2022 to 2023.
Special disbursing officers under her have told a House panel that they had no knowledge of exactly how the funds were used, raising serious concerns about accountability and proper oversight.
The vice president’s impeachment followed months of House investigation that uncovered alleged irregularities, including Duterte allowing her security personnel to handle the funds in violation of government rules and submitting receipts to state auditors signed by individuals with no birth records.
House investigators found out that three in every five signatories on acknowledgment receipts provided by the education department to justify confidential expenditures during Duterte’s tenure were “non-existent.”
Lawmakers also spotted discrepancies among names and signatures. For example, signatures attributed to Alice Crescencio varied across receipts, while the same signature appeared for both Sally Rendon and Sheila Dado. Signatures for Milky Secuya also differed from one receipt to another.
The Philippine Statistics Authority also confirmed to the House good government committee in 2024 that one of the recipients, Mary Grace Piattos, was not in its database. Other allegedly contrived names on the receipts include Fernando Tempura, Reymunda Jane Nova, and Carlos Miguel Oishi.
Duterte has been sidestepping questions about her alleged misuse of confidential funds, instead turning the spotlight on those who dared to ask. She dismissed the House moves against her as “clear oppression and harassment.” – Rappler.com
