07-07-2025
Cebu City Hall gets Heidi Mendoza to audit finances, for free
The Cebu City Government gets help in auditing its finances from a former chief of the Commission on Audit (COA), free of charge.
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, in his post evening on July 6, 2025, cited that Cebu City needs help from Heidi Mendoza, former COA commissioner.
'We need help. Thankfully, we're getting help from the most capable, credible, and qualified independent fiscalizer I can think of: none other than Commissioner Heidi Mendoza herself,' Osmeña said.
The decision to ask immediate assistance from Mendoza came after the current administration, Osmeña said, could not find reportedly the P12 billion that the previous mayor has claimed to have left behind in the city coffers.
'Cebu City's finances are a mess. The 12B that the previous mayor claims to have left behind cannot be found,' Osmeña said in his post.
The vice mayor alleged that 'crucial documents are missing, and even then, anomalous transactions are being discovered every day.'
Osmeña cited of alleged 'overpriced luxury vehicles, job order (JO) workers who do not exist; shirts worth P20,000; large purchases made without proper authorization, barangay tanods who have not been paid since last year.'
In addition, Osmeña said that 'accounts payable are in the billions.'
The vice mayor emphasized that not only was Mendoza the officer in charge of the Commission on Audit, she also served as undersecretary general of the United Nations Internal Oversight Services.
'Her track record is unassailable. I cannot name a better third-party to help audit Cebu City's finances,' he pointed out. The service, he underscored, is for free.
'Dean Heidi is graciously doing this all for free. She has graciously refused a consultancy position from City Hall. She said she wants to be able to help without being beholden to anyone. In turn, she will help uncover all the 'baho' (stench) hiding in City Hall. No sacred cows, no special protections,' Osmeña further said.
