Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima on Wednesday welcomed Speaker Faustino Dy’s promise to prioritize passing the proposed creation of the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC), and the anti-political dynasty act, to help address corruption in government.
“We welcome the pronouncements of House Speaker Bojie Dy in supporting two sets of legislative measures—those creating the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) and the Anti-Political Dynasty bills,” de Lima, principal author of House Bill 4453 or the Permanent ICI bill.
De Lima said she and the rest of the minority bloc of the House will keep an eye on the Speaker’s commitment to deliver these two measures for the Filipino people.
“We will keep an eye on what Speaker Dy said: that the passage of these bills will be taken seriously and expedited. We reiterate our call for the House leadership to strongly urge the President to certify these measures as urgent,” said de Lima in a mixture of Filipino and English.
De Lima also expressed belief that the ICI bill should be passed at the soonest possible time.
“Let’s not drag out the ICAIC bill like the Anti-Political Dynasty Act has been dribbled out for decades. With the enactment of these measures, it will be easier to hold accountable those involved in anomalies, and in our desire to implement good governance—governance that is loyal to the people, not to godfathers and personal agendas,” she said.
“Amid systemic corruption, prevailing impunity, and injustice, we need to formulate and implement concrete reforms that truly serve the interests of the people, not those of the few. We need to ensure good governance, while democratizing access to public office,” De Lima added.
