Support for Mendoza came pouring in from netizens, the clergy, legislators, the President and the justice secretary, among other people.

“You have raised us a notch higher as Filipinos,” said Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, summing up the public’s feeling after Mendoza disclosed her fears for her life and the security of her children with her testimony.

“I would like to assure her that as far as security is concerned, I think that from all the reactions I have been getting from my cell phone to my computer, it is the Filipino people who will protect you in the circumstance that you find yourself in,” said Casiño at the hearing of the justice committee in the House of Representatives.

He added that Congress would support and protect Mendoza.

“Go Heidi,” cheered Rock Ed founder and TV host Gang Badoy on her Twitter account, gangbadoy. “When I grow up, I don’t think I can be like Heidi Mendoza, she’s special. But I want to be CAPABLE of protecting people like Heidi Mendoza,” she later tweeted.
Trending topic

At around 5:24 p.m. Tuesday, Mendoza appeared among the trending topics of the social networking site Twitter worldwide.

Twitter’s trending topics, preceded by a hashtag(#,) reflect the most-talked about real-time subjects on the site.

Mendoza emerged at the top spot of the trending topics on the popular search engine Yahoo Philippines after testifying at the hearing on how former military comptroller Carlos Garcia skimmed off public funds.

Mendoza led a team from the Commission on Audit (COA) that looked into military deals and testified on allegedly suspicious transactions involving Garcia and his family, who were charged with a P303-million plunder case.

Plea bargain

The case in the Sandiganbayan is now the subject of a pending plea bargain agreement, which allowed Garcia to post bail and walk out of jail.

Mendoza earlier said she believed there was strong evidence against Garcia, contrary to pronouncements of government prosecutors, who had said that there was insufficient proof to nail him down.

Manifesto of support

In a manifesto of support, 20 Catholic bishops praised Mendoza for risking her life and the security of her family “to unmask the arrogance” of abusive officials.

The bishops also mentioned George Rabusa, a former military budget officer who disclosed the military tradition of giving tens of millions of pesos drawn from a slush fund to Armed Forces chiefs of staff and other top military officials.

The prelates said the emergence of inspired witnesses like Mendoza and Rabusa against crooked government officials was a concrete expression of “lay leadership,” which the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) stressed in a pastoral letter two years ago.

The pastoral letter titled “Year of the Two Hearts for Peace building and Lay Participation in Social Change,” encouraged the lay faithful to be at the forefront of moral renewal for a genuine and lasting change in Philippine society.

Common good

The bishops echoed a pastoral letter calling on the lay people involved in politics to reject corruption and unite in the task of “evangelizing politics” for effective governance and the pursuit of the common good.

“As bishops, we support and encourage such people. We are with Heidi Mendoza in speaking out against the abuse of office that impoverishes the people and harm the common good,” they stated.

Fighting giants

At Tuesday’s forum hosted by the Catholic Media Network, Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said the two witnesses against corrupt military officials must not only be supported by bishops but also by ordinary Filipinos.

“What they are doing is not easy... especially when you fight the giants,” said Cruz, who himself stood as witness in a Senate probe of “jueteng,” an illegal numbers game.

In the manifesto, the bishops called on the Sandiganbayan to pursue the case in the interest of transparency and restoration of public trust.

Palace support

Mendoza has the Aquino administration supporting her as far as her security requirements are concerned, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Mr. Aquino’s spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the President found Mendoza a credible witness and that the administration was moving to protect her from those who would do her harm.

“Before she came to the House hearing… we made sure that she would be protected by the government. We realize the importance of her testimony,” Lacierda said at news briefing in Malacañang.

Lacierda said the President watched the television coverage of the proceedings in the House.

“We’ve listened to her testimony. Based on the court records, we believe that she is a very credible witness who could shed light on the anomalies that happened in the military during the comptrollership of [Major] General Garcia,” Lacierda said.

Witness protection program

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has temporarily placed Mendoza under its Witness Protection Program (WPP), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Tuesday.

Anticipating threats to her security following her decision to appear at the hearing, Mendoza went to the DoJ office in Manila on Monday to seek protection, De Lima said.

“Because of these proceedings… she felt that she needed security so we provided her security (detail) while we are evaluating her full coverage under the WPP,” De Lima said in a news briefing.

“I don’t know the exact threats, but you can always assume that because the people implicated here are powerful people, you cannot downplay any security threat. You cannot be too complacent,” she added.

Since Mendoza did not cite specific threats, De Lima said the DoJ provided “preemptive” security arrangement for her.

In addition to protection, the justice secretary said the WPP could grant financial assistance to Mendoza and Rabusa.

Brave

De Lima praised Mendoza for coming out in the open to narrate what she knew about the controversial plea bargain reached by Garcia and the Ombudsman.

“She is brave and just like Rabusa, she is credible,” the justice secretary said. “What could be her agenda as a former COA auditor? She now runs the risk of being pilloried and ostracized by her former co-workers at the COA.”

De Lima said the revelations made by Mendoza and Rabusa should prompt the Sandiganbayan to closely review Garcia’s plea bargain.

Honest toil

In their manifesto, the bishops reminded parents to serve as good examples to their children and to promote the “virtue of honest toil,” noting that Garcia’s case was a reflection of the deteriorating moral values among Filipino families.

“We call on the children to ask their parents about their sources of income... we remind lawyers, law enforcers and law schools to remember their public oath of honor and duty to uphold democracy.

“This is an opportunity for us to get our act together inspired by courageous men and women who stand up for the truth for the good of our nation,” the bishops said.

Among those who signed the manifesto were Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Jaro Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, Kidapawan Bishop Romulo de la Cruz, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias and Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes.

Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Jocelyn R. Uy, Marlon Ramos, Phil. Daily Inquirer