Says proposed IPC ‘more effective’ in flood mess probe
Commissioner Rossana Fajardo has resigned from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure effective December 31, 2025, noting that other government agencies will soon assume the prosecutorial duties of the ICI.
She is the third member to step down from the body since It was created in September. Former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson resigned earlier this month while Baguio mayor Benjamin Magalong quit in September, leaving only ICI chairman Andres Reyes Jr. and special adviser, retired police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to continue the commission’s work.
Fajardo said a permanent commission, such as either the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption or the Independent People’s Commission, will be more effective in assisting the Ombudsman in prosecuting those involved in irregular flood control projects.
“I have fulfilled the objectives I aimed to achieve upon my appointment, ensuring that the foundational aims of the Commission have been realized. I believe that the investigative and prosecutorial duties will now be assumed by other entities, such as the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman, which are more suitably equipped to guarantee accountability for contractors and government officials,” she said.
“I am thankful for the chance to contribute to a shared mission that emphasizes the well-being of our citizens,” she added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thanked Fajardo for her service, underscoring the administration’s push for a more honest, transparent, and responsive government.
“The President thanks Ms. Fajardo for her service and for helping ensure that public funds are properly accounted for,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez said, noting that Fajardo has completed the specific financial forensic work she was assigned to carry out for the ICI.
Gomez said Fajardo was engaged under a clearly defined and time-bound mandate to closely examine funds linked to infrastructure projects under investigation and help trace the movement of public money.
“That work is now finished,” the Palace official said, adding that Fajardo’s findings will be incorporated into the ICI’s recommendations to the Office of the Ombudsman and will also be turned over to relevant government agencies, including the Commission on Audit, to support further action.
For his part, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the bill creating an IPC to investigate all infrastructure anomalies will likely be passed by Congress next year.
Sotto said he believes the ICI has served its purpose.
“The IPC bill will aid soon and more so for future investigations,” he said.
President Marcos earlier included the IPC measure as a priority bill of his administration.
Meanwhile, members of the Makabayan bloc and other lawmakers said Fajardo’s resignation essentially made the ICI a “lost cause.”
“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 said 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.
The ICI chairman, for his part, said the commission will continue to fulfill its mandate.
“The Commission will now focus on finalizing the remaining items that will be submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in order to strengthen and add to the growing number of cases that will eventually be filed with the courts and hold those involved accountable,” Reyes said.
“The Commission remains fully committed to submitting all its final recommendations and ensuring that the appropriate institutions—particularly the Ombudsman — have everything they need to bring these cases forward. The public can be assured that accountability continues, and the process that the ICI began will move toward its proper legal conclusion,” he added.
