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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-8/trillanes-mendoza.webp" alt="Antonio Trillanes IV and COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza"/>
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(Antonio Trillanes IV and COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza)
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Former State Auditor V Arturo Besana recounted that the COA deviated from established procedures and even from practices long respected by the Supreme Court in both its decisions that invalidated the DAP and the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, of legislators.


The controversial COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza had to face Congress for confirmation after her being instrumental in drafting the special audit that ended up targeting three political opponents of Noynoy.


Besana said Mendoza made a public show of idolizing putschist Antonio Trillanes IV, who was then a senator and a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments.

"Oh, yes. I will always remember that moment, morning of 11 June 2014, at Senator Geronima Pecson Room, second floor, Senate of the Philippines," he related.


"I was seated at the front row with my wife Monette and a friend, a Canadian national named Peñafrancia Ramos Gerodias who was always with me in the hearings of the confirmation of the appointment of Heidi Mendoza, in my capacity as oppositor," he explained.


Suddenly, a lady in front of us, just about four meters away stood saying: "Hi sir, you are my idol. I wrote a poem for you," Besana recalled.


That was the voice of Mendoza, "lovely and resplendent in her blue dress greeting Trillanes, impeccable in his tie and suit."


"For a moment I was thrilled by that sight and expression of mutual admiration by their looks," he noted.


"They looked like Romeo and Juliet. I cannot blame Senator Trillanes, neither can I do the same to Heidi. Both are at the peak of their career and at the prime of their youth," Besana remembered.


Later on, Trillanes and Mendoza addressed each other again. Mendoza told Trillanes within earshot of those in the gallery: "I exposed the General Garcia case, so marami po ang nasaktan (many were affected)."


Trillanes said: "I admire your courage and strength to face the adversity."


"And almost in tears Mendoza replied: Honorable Senator, just a word. I truly admire you. I made you a poem and I think I have given you already a copy. Thank you very much," Besana said.


The former COA official then said, "On the basis of the foregoing conversation between Commissioner Heidi Mendoza and former Senator Trillanes who received P245 million DAP money from Department of Budget and Management, the former senator, when questioned by a lady senator about the money, said all the money were audited by COA, and they did not indicate any negative findings."


How would the COA come up with a negative finding against Trillanes when a commissioner practically worships at his feet?


Besana said that was the situation immediately after the assumption into office of the then new Commission Proper in 2011 led by Pulido Tan and Mendoza. "And this is being continued up to the present," he warned.


Sources:

<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
True Yellow romance, July 23, 2020, <a href="https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2020/07/23/true-yellow-romance/" class="news_link" title="Source" target="_blank">Chito Lozada</a>, The Daily Tribune
</li>
</ol>

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DAP scandal and the Yellow romance of Trillanes and Commissioner Mendoza