Palace assembles flood control 'Avengers'

Malacañang on Saturday named several personalities who would form part of the government’s Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), tasked with probing anomalies in flood control projects.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communication Secretary and Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro announced that former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson and SGV & Co. Managing Partner Rossana Fajardo have been appointed commission members.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong will also join as special adviser and will act as investigator for the ICI.

“The announcement of the chairperson of the commission will be made by the President in the coming days,” Castro added.

According to Castro, the commission has been granted broad investigative powers, including the authority to issue subpoenas, recommend the filing of criminal or administrative cases, coordinate with prosecutorial and disciplinary bodies, and request relevant documents such as books, contracts, bank records, and other materials needed for its investigation upon proper request or representation to the appropriate authorities.

No ‘sacred cows’

Stressing that the public deserves a commission that is free from any conflict of interest, Castro said the commissioners’ selection was based on “competence and integrity.”

“Boluntaryo ang pagtanggap nila sa tungkulin na ito. Hindi sila hinihirang para ipagtanggol ang sistema kung hindi para harapin ito (Their acceptance of this responsibility is voluntary. They were not appointed to defend the system, but to confront it),” she said.

"Each of them has extensive experience in identifying problems within institutions and implementing reforms in large organizations,” she added.

Castro assured that none of the named personalities are connected to any agency or contractor being investigated.

“Karapatan ng publiko ang magkaroon ng isang tunay na independent commission. Kagaya nang paulit-ulit na sinabi ni Pangulo, walang sasantuhin dito kahit kamag-anak, kaibigan, kaalyado (The public has a right to a truly independent commission. As the President has repeatedly said, there will be no sacred cows here—not even relatives, friends, or allies),” she said.

“There will be no sacred cows. The commission will begin its work immediately,” she added.

She reiterated that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. chose these individuals “based on merit, not politics.”

Further, Castro said the newly formed ICI will not interfere in the ongoing reorganization of the DPWH or any branch of government.

She clarified that the commission’s role is purely investigative as an independent fact-finding body.

The Palace has not set any timeline for the ICI’s investigation.

“Wala pong masasabi agad na timeline. Ang pinaka-timeline dito ay mas agaran o mas mabilisang pagtatrabaho. At mas mainam po matapos po ito sa loob lamang ng ilang buwan (There is no definite timeline that can be given at this point. The main goal is to work promptly and efficiently. Ideally, this should be completed within a few months),” Castro said.

She added that the ICI should be allowed to study all the documents “so that when a case is filed, the documents will be complete.”

The ICI is expected to conduct a broad review of contracts, project implementation reports, and procurement records related to flood control projects across the country.

Vouching for integrity

As former DPWH chief, Singson led one of the most significant reform efforts in the agency’s history, such as introducing systems to promote transparency, eliminate ghost projects, and ensure proper use of public funds.

He also served as head of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), where he managed large-scale land infrastructure development.

Castro said Singson’s technical understanding of how projects are designed, procured, and implemented will be essential to the commission’s work.

Meanwhile, Fajardo has more than three decades of experience in auditing, internal controls, and risk management, especially in identifying weaknesses in financial systems and operational processes.

She has worked across both public and private sectors to help organizations detect fraud, strengthen governance, and build more accountable institutions.

Castro said Fajardo’s technical insight and financial acumen are critical in following the trail of public funds and determining where leakages and irregularities may have occurred.

Moreover, Magalong is a career law enforcement officer who served as Deputy Director General of the Philippine National Police and as the former Director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

He handled sensitive, high-impact investigations and helped lead institutional reforms in law enforcement through intelligence-driven and forensic-based approaches.

“His experience in leading difficult investigations, uncovering internal wrongdoing, and enforcing compliance makes him a strong asset to this commission,” said Castro.