Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Monday laid down his case for the proposed creation of the Independent People’s Commission (IPC), which could continue dealing with corruption issues after the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) fulfills its mandate.
Lacson urged the government to intensify its crackdown on corruption tied to anomalous infrastructure projects, warning that political hesitation could weaken efforts to expose large-scale misuse of public funds.
“I wonder why Malacañang’s enthusiasm is lost all of a sudden. I still believe that the ICI is serving its purpose in flushing out useful information, to say the least, for the Ombudsman and DOJ (Department of Justice) to proceed with their preliminary investigation and come up with solid cases against those responsible in the plunder of public funds,” said Lacson.
“Congress has taken positive steps to follow the lead of the President in getting to the bottom of the unprecedented infrastructure anomalies never unearthed before by any of the past administrations,” he added.
In a bid to reinforce current efforts, the veteran lawmaker said the proposed IPC should be pursued aggressively as a stronger replacement for the existing ICI, which he argued has already produced actionable information despite having limited authority.
Lacson cited concerns raised by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro that a new body could duplicate the work of the Ombudsman and DOJ, but said stronger institutional powers are necessary to close enforcement gaps.
The lack of these powers, according to the Senate Blue Ribbon chairman, has forced the existing commission to rely on referrals instead of filing cases, limiting its effectiveness and weakening its ability to compel cooperation from reluctant witnesses.
Lacson pointed to warnings from ICI head Andres Reyes Jr. that witnesses remain vulnerable to counter-charges, creating a chilling effect that discourages insiders from coming forward.
The senator noted that while the commission can issue subpoenas, it lacks contempt powers, citing the refusal of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte to appear after claiming the body had no jurisdiction over him.
This is why Lacson is now also calling for the immediate passage of Senate Bill 1512, which seeks to create the IPC with authority to grant witness immunity and provide protection for whistleblowers facing retaliation and harassment suits.
“If it is passed by the House and Senate and the bicameral conference committee reaches agreement and it is certified as urgent by President Marcos… I think the Senate President and the Speaker should write to have it certified as urgent,” the senator said.
