Malacañang has yet to reveal the composition of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) that has been tasked to investigate massive corruption in the government’s flood control and other infrastructure projects.
On Thursday, President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 94 establishing a commission empowered to conduct hearings, issue subpoenas, recommend the filing of criminal and administrative cases, and freeze assets linked to questionable transactions.
While in Cambodia earlier this week, Mr. Marcos vowed to name the commission’s members within 48 hours, but that deadline has since lapsed, with the newly-created commission remaining faceless.
Speculation is rife that Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and former Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson are frontrunners for the position.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the chamber’s probe into questionable flood control projects will continue despite the independent commission appointed by the President.
Lacson, who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, stressed that the committee will operate under what he called a “blindfold mentality,” relying only on evidence and sparing no one in its inquiry.
“The committee’s ongoing inquiry is in aid of legislation and does not intend to target any senator or congressman, particularly Senator Jinggoy Estrada,” he said.
The senator referred to a P355-million insertion in the 2025 budget as proof of the need to identify who proposes amendments or insertions in the budget process.
Lacson explained that both the Senate inquiry and the work of the independent commission are complementary rather than competing.
He added that the Blue Ribbon panel would share evidence with the commission and could request documents from it if needed for legislative purposes.
For his part, House Infrastructure Committee Co-chair Rep. Terry Ridon expressed hope the two chambers of Congress would jointly terminate their separate inquiries into anomalous flood control projects to give way to the ICI’s investigation.
“Hopefully, the Senate and the House can come up with a joint undertaking to terminate the proceedings on flood control corruption, and turn this matter over to the independent commission,” he told reporters in Filipino.
Earlier, House Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed that the House “will extend its full cooperation to the ICI so that truth can prevail, accountability can be pursued, and reforms can be put in place.”
“If the Commission’s investigation finds that some members of the House conspired with public works officials in anomalous projects, I assure the Filipino people: the House under my leadership will never be a sanctuary for corruption,” he said.
As this developed, the Makati Business Club (MBC) welcomed the President’s decision to form an independent panel to investigate the misuse of flood control funds and other irregularities in infrastructure projects over the past 10 years.
In a statement, the business group said it supports granting the ICI full authority to investigate and pursue the filing of cases “to make those involved fully accountable.”
MBC also urged both the House of Representatives and the Senate to turn over their ongoing probes to the ICI to avoid conflicts of interest and prevent “intramurals that will further erode the image of both institutions.”
While sharing the public’s outrage over the systemic misuse of funds, the group appealed for calm to prevent opportunistic groups from taking advantage of the situation.
It warned against unrest similar to incidents seen in Indonesia and Nepal, and called on the public to give the ICI “a chance to produce results.”
