Home » Archives » February 2011

Poem of Heidi Mendoza

February 5, 2011

The task of running after corrupt government men is a serious matter and can be a bit frustrating. Lesser mortals would have given up in the face of disheartening trials.

Tough as she is, though, Mendoza has a soft side and revealed that she turns to poetry to vent out her frustrations and to encourage the common soldier.

In her poem “Sundalo Una sa Lahat”, she called on soldiers to stand tall and stay true to their oath of service in the face of rampant corruption:

“Sa gitna ng tukso, pangungurakot H’wag kang manghina at manatiling nakatutok sa tunay na layunin“

And this is exactly what Mendoza is doing right now in full view of her countrymen.

Who is Heidi Mendoza?

Mendoza is the daughter of a police officer, and is a reserve officer herself in the military with a rank of lieutenant colonel.

She finished her master’s degree in national security administration in 2003 at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP).

After graduating from the NDCP, she was asked by former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo to investigate anomalies in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Heidi Mendoza (right) during her graduation at the National Defense College of the Philippines in 2003 with then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (middle).

She worked with the COA for more than 20 years and became an expert in fraud investigations of government transactions.

One case she audited was that of Atty. Zacaria A. Candao, a former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), who was found to have committed malversation of P21 million in government funds.

According to Mendoza, she was offered money and property just so she will drop the case. Mendoza stood her ground and refused the offer.

The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of Candao in 2010.

Mendoza believes the money should have gone to ordinary soldiers.

 

SUGGESTED READINGS

 

Posted by private at 2:41 pm | permalink | comments[308]