keynote address of commissioner heidi l. mendoza

8/3/2019 Keynote Address of Commissioner Heidi L. Mendoza

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Keynote Address of

Commissioner Heidi L. Mendoza

On the occasion of the

International Anti-Corruption Day

Asian Development Bank

09 December 2011

HONORABLE GUESTS, MY FORMER COLLEAGUES FROM THE BANK, LADIES

AND GENTLEMEN, I GREET YOU A VERY PLEASANT MORNING.

Perhaps it is only by chance that I stand here before you to talk about one thing that we

dare not do. The Corruption word evokes a myriad of meanings to a lot of people, to you and to

me, as well. It is the word that all of us are scared to do, yet the absence of it would mean fewer jobs in ADB...Levity aside, Corruption and Anti-Corruption advocacies indeed bind us all

together today.

The level of prevalence of corruption nowadays would lead someone to believe that not

doing it or actually partaking in it is no longer a choice. That choice has been inexistent a long

time ago. The populace has become utterly jaded that legitimacy is now a rarity, one would

conclude. We sometimes are led to a conclusion that one may be either Corrupt or

Corruptible...the only two choices laid down for us on the governance table, so another one

would say.

I am addressing now a highly-esteemed group of smart people who believe in one way or

the other that something is in it why Corruption pervades or why Corruption can be mitigated to

certain degrees. You have countless initiatives towards that. Your works have been driven by it.

We have defined its root causes and ways to eradicate it...Fact or Myth, the ramifications of

corruption for all areas of governance are still around us despite what we have done and what the

Governments have contributed which is why I call it the big C.

Indeed, the big C is a symptom of a variety of failures, failure in the process of

government formation, failure in government to implement effective policies and failure of the


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governments to provide its citizenry the avenue to be heard. Bureaucratic corruption comes in

different packages...from isolated cases of kickbacks and bribes to influence peddling and grand

theft. You would also agree with me that it is country and societal specific. This is the grand

scheme of things seen in different magnitude, prevalence and dimensions. No argument on that.

And there should be no argument as well if we look at our individual selves to get a better

perspective...why this thing happens..how it started..because everything is conceived by ones

self. But where are we in the loop?

Bess Myerson once said that the accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our

own indifference. Corruption puts countries in a humanitarian, leadership and economic crisis.

We all know that. It consumes everyones right to good governance and freedom or even leading

decent lives. On a bigger scale, it creates serious impediments to social and economic

development. But do we really have to face these all the time.

As end users of goods and services, do we really have to deal with low-quality services and sub-

standard good? Despite the seriousness of the problem, governments can still show no sense of

urgency. Taxes are still gobbled up by private greed... Services are consumed by favored

parties...Goods are not actually utilized by the intended consumer...the Cancer persists.

But we have a right to demand and make a change. Syed Hussein in his book Corruption

and the Destiny of Asia, fittingly stated that the absence of severe punitive measure does not

awaken the necessary loyalty and devotion capable of inhibiting corruption. Thus there may be

a need to prioritize the passing an anticorruption law but have we not passed a lot already? Have

we not tried reengineering the bureaucracy, inviting the civil society, promoting integrity, etc.

What is missing then? I guess its a personal conviction that each one of us is simply

responsible in fighting corruption.

For so long, majority believes that fighting corruption is the sole responsibility of governmentmandated agencies. The private sector is no exemption. A lot of our big business companies

will only be concerned with fighting corruption when economy is bad and it is hurting their

internal returns.

In this country, fighting corruption is almost synonymous with losing a job, being the odd and


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out of place in a bureaucratic environment being ostracized.. We cannot blame them for how

many times have we seen whistle blowers being the object of investigation, of personal attacks oflegal suits and overwhelming discouragement.

It pains me a lot to discover that in an institution where corruption is so deeply embedded,

attacking distorted systems and practices is seen as an attempt to decimate and erode institutionalintegrity. Thats why, coming back to an institution I love so much proved to be more difficult

than what I would have expected.

Last December 21, after barely having being issued my van breda card and about to begin to

enjoy its advantages, I resigned from my job at the Philippine country office. The timing isimperfect so one would have thought, its almost 4 days before Christmas and almost like a week

after our office retreat where I have learned to love the people Im working with. I have just

obtained a housing loan thinking that I would stay in ADB for long but sadly, after only 3

months, I have to make a difficult decision of resigning from a job I love so much for the job inADB allows me to live my advocacy while at the same time enjoy the pay.

I did it to lend a face to the fight I have long started. For how can I continue working on thePhilippine country development plan while at the same time depriving my own country of the

opportunity to bring forth the truth and hopefully start the chain reaction? You might not know

that I am the auditor who investigated the military general, resigned from my job at CoA but stillcontinue to appear in every court hearing using my own resources. Thus when the government

entered into a plea bargain citing lack of evidence, I broke my silence which consequently forced

me to leave my job here in ADB. I could still remember and perhaps I have to recognize the

concern of a Japanese officer who strongly convinced me to rethink of my action for he fears formy family.

I must admit that before this experience, I thought that dedication I have given to fightingcorruption is only a by-product of my being in audit profession. I have proven this presumption

wrong for even when I resigned from the commission in 2006 and joined high paying but equally

fulfilling jobs as consultant in several private companies, I felt like yearning to go backhomehome to where my passion is, home to where the action is.

I must thank corruption for being so persistent in our system (joke). Being so pervasive, being

so systemic, I was challenged to do more than what I am tasked to performbeyond an 8-5 hour job, even beyond the confines of a public office. Let me share with you my experience when

after issuing an audit report on corrupt expropriation of a government land, I did not stop there

but went as far as working for a cease and desist order that was timely issued by thenOmbudsman Marcelo so we can prevent at least 180 million being paid from a 220 million loan

from a government bank. This means that my job as an auditor did not end in issuing an audit

report and filing the same with the office of the ombudsman. The citizen in me urged me to domore than what mere official function dictates. Knowing dully well that it will take still some

material amount of time before a full investigation can be completed and that last minute

attempts to release the full payment were being hatched by corrupt officers of a poor LGU, Iwasted no time and applied for a cease and desist order. The application was done in time when

the LGU officials were already in the bank about to encash the check. Looking back I can still


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vividly recall the excitement of running against time in preventing the payment of 180 million

from a 220 million loan. There was no press release nor any public recognition. In fact, thewhole scenario happened when I was on study leave. This only shows that in order to fight

corruption an extraordinary commitment is needed. A commitment that goes beyond time and

formal structures, a commitment that is rooted in personal conviction that fighting corruption is

my responsibility not only because I am an auditor but because I am a citizen and it my moneythat is being taken.

Going back to the commission and now being part of the commission proper, I am more

convinced that there is no sure way to fight corruption but for the government and its citizen to

work together. I often tell my auditors, when you are given the task to audit certain irregularitiesand fraud, you are not only doing so in compliance with an office order. You are doing so

mainly because you are a citizen and you are a stakeholder. I want them to remember that before

they become auditors, they are citizens and therefore it is for their greater interest to find out how

much has the government been deprived of and recommend measures that would prevent thesame including filing of a case, if warranted.

Ladies and gentlemen, they say that corruption is a fight against undying enemies. Indeed andthus, we need to be on guard always not only in fighting the enemy but also in seeing to it that

every opportunity for corruption is mitigated if not totally eradicated. This is only possible the

moment we say yesI fight corruptionTo you and the one seated beside you, now is the timeto say Yesuntil we hear a resounding sound of yeses, until it converts into action, until action

converge into movement until the movement creates a future when corruption shall only

becomea history. Dauntingindeed but let us begin with a resounding YES! I fight

corruption!

Humbly, I have shared my own storyI will be glad to listen to yoursand that time I hope is

soon.

Thanks to all the people I worked with in Asian Development Bank, those who inspired me to go

back and those who continuously support me.

keynote address of commissioner heidi l. mendoza

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