Members of the Makabayan bloc and other lawmakers associated with the House minority were disappointed by the resignation of Commissioner Rossana Fajardo, saying this development essentially made the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) a “lost cause.”
Fajardo announced her decision to leave the ICI on Friday, December 26, barely two weeks after fellow commissioner Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson opted out. These resignations, according to the Makabayan bloc, “exposed the empty anti-corruption rhetoric” of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“The ICI is a lost cause. Its members have resigned, it has no real transparency, and its credibility always in question,” ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co said in a joint statement.
House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the ICI “might as well close shop” after the departure of its two commissioners this month.
“If you have a Commission with the formidable task of fighting corruption but with limited powers and resources, and an administration that is reluctant to swiftly provide support through urgent legislation and much needed budget, then it is doomed to fail,” she said.
De Lima expressed disappointment over the failure of the ICI to livestream its proceedings, which have put into question the sincerity of the Marcos administration in pursuing accountability over the multibillion-peso flood control mess.
“This brings us back to our question from the beginning: Is the President and his administration really serious about its commitment to hold all those involved—especially the mastermind or masterminds, including powerful politicians—accountable?” she pointed out.
De Lima is among the authors of House Bill 4453, which seeks the creation of the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) that aims to strengthen and institutionalize the ICI.
House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice also believed the ICI is “effectively dead” after Fajardo’s resignation.
“There is definitely something wrong when three of the most credible members of the commission—Benjamin Magalong, Singson, and now Fajardo—have all resigned,” he said. “What happens now to what may be the greatest heist in government infrastructure and the national budget?”
