COA Commissioner Mendoza assures public: ‘No member of current Commission Proper is involved in PDAF scam’

Published: 4 September 2015

Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Heidi L. Mendoza assured the public that no current member of the Commission Proper (CP) was involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

“I can with confidence say that whoever that Commissioner who Atty. Baligod claims to be included in the PDAF scam, he is no longer with the current member of the Commissioner Proper,” Commissioner Mendoza said.

Commissioner Mendoza pointed out that the current members of the CP were recently appointed and could not have been involved in the pork barrel scam from the period 2007-2009. Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo was appointed in March 2015, Commissioner Jose A. Fabia in May 2014 and she herself in April 2011.

In response to earlier allegations that four auditors were involved in the PDAF scam, Commissioner Mendoza said the COA is open to any investigation against its auditors but the proper information and evidence should be shown owing to the sensitive nature of COA’s work and in fairness to the other 8, 237 employees of the Commission..

“Gusto po natin ibigay ng assurance ang publiko na patuloy na makakaasa sa buong tapat at buong pusong paglilingkod ng buong COA, Commissioner Mendoza emphasized.

COA is currently undergoing fact-finding investigation against 70 or more auditors on the PDAF while three administrative cases have already been filed.