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. 

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