Heidi favors conditional amnesty for the corrupt

Whistleblower Heidi Mendoza has proposed a way to deal with corrupt officials: Give them amnesty if they come forward and volunteer to return stolen money. “Baka sa dami ng corruption cases at sa bagal ng sistema, baka kailangan magkaroon ng amnestiya," Mendoza said Tuesday at a forum at St. Scholastica’s College in Manila. (Because of the sheer number of corruption cases and the slow pace of the justice system, maybe there should be amnesty for corrupt officials.)

Whistleblower Heidi Mendoza urges the citizenry to audit public projects in their areas, during a talk on Tuesday at St. Scholastica's College. Howie Severino

Mendoza, a former government auditor who has become the latest celebrity whistleblower, said extending amnesty to corrupt officials willing to make restitution by returning to the government plundered wealth would avoid lengthy graft cases. From 2004 to 2006, Mendoza audited military financial records that were used as evidence in the plunder case of former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia. She later testified in his Sandiganbayan trial and in the ongoing congressional probes into Garcia's plea bargain with the Ombudsman. She admitted that her proposal must be “carefully studied," noting that there are other things that should be taken into consideration before allowing corrupt individuals to avail of government amnesty. “Mayroon kasing civil liability na [puwedeng ma-absolve] ng restitution. Malaking usapin ang criminal liability. This should be carefully studied. At dapat may good transparency," she said. (There’s civil liability that can be absolved by restitution. There is also the bigger issue of criminal liability. This should be carefully studied, and there should also be transparency.) Mendoza added: “Dapat alamin din muna kung sino ang magbibigay ng amnesty. Magkano ang ibabalik kung sakali? Dapat may konsultasyon sa bayan (We should know who would extend the amnesty. How much ill-gotten wealth is the official willing to return to the government? The public should be consulted)." Garcia, who is accused of accepting some P300 million in pay-offs while in service, entered into a plea bargain agreement with the Office of the Ombudsman that allowed him to plead guilty for a lower offense of direct bribery and money laundering and subsequently post bail. The agreement, which the Ombudsman said was reached because the plunder evidence against Garcia was weak, also required him to pay only around half of the P300 million he allegedly amassed. Asked if Garcia can avail of the amnesty she is proposing, Mendoza said: “Why not?" “Pero iba kasi iyong kay Gen. Garcia. Nakaakyat na kasi sa courts ang kaso niya (But in Garcia’s case we have to consider that it’s already in the courts)." Vote for Heidi? At one point during the open forum, Mendoza drew some laughter after being asked if she was planning on pursuing a political career in the next elections. “Iboboto niyo ba ako (Will you vote for me)?" she asked, to which the audience — mostly students and faculty members — replied, “Yes!" Mendoza, however, said she was only joking. “I have no interest in running for any political position. That was not the reason why I did my expose," she said. President Benigno Aquino III has already offered Mendoza a post in his administration, but the whistleblower, who last worked at the Asian Development Bank, has yet to accept it. Mendoza, who has appeared in congressional hearings on Garcia’s plea bargain deal, said she has been talking about alleged corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for years, but nobody was listening. “It’s not the first time I’m spilling the beans... Ngayon lang siguro napansin dahil sa plea bargain agreement ni Gen. Garcia (It was only noticed now because of Gen. Garcia’s plea bargain agreement)," she said. Mendoza also said she had done auditing work for the Department of Public Works and Highways' regional office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and “found many things and filed cases on them." Inspirational Mendoza received a warm reception from students and faculty members of St. Scholastica’s College. Her daughter studies in its sister school in Marikina City. Most students who went up to the microphone to ask her questions during the open forum usually started by praising her. In particular, sixth grader Chloe Jusi caught the attention of both Mendoza and the audience. “Hi Ms. Mendoza. I would like to tell you that I am inspired to be an auditor," Jusi said. “Can you tell me the benefits of being an auditor?" Her question drew some laughter from the audience. Mendoza told the student in jest that “corrupt people" will start getting “scared" of her once she becomes an auditor. “But seriously, you will have the opportunity to seek the truth and initiate change," she said. Mendoza said she wanted the public to have a renewed perspective of the accounting and auditing disciplines. “It should really not be just about the numbers. It’s not about balancing them. Find a relationship among these numbers and find a way to communicate this to the public. Give a more human face to figures that really matter," she said. Monica Bautista, another Grade 6 student, told GMA News Online after the forum how much she admired the former government auditor. “Gusto ko ang pagiging matatag at matapang niya (I really like her being steadfast and courageous)," she said. Bautista admitted getting “excited" upon seeing Mendoza in person. “I might also consider becoming an accountant or auditor despite the risks that come with it," she said. - KBK/RSJ/HS, GMA News