Public health advocate Dr. Tony Leachon has called on the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to widen its investigation beyond the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and look into alleged irregularities in the Department of Health (DoH).

The appeal came after Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong resigned as ICI’s special adviser and investigator, citing “serious mismanagement” in the DoH’s Medical Assistance for Indigents and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program.

Leachon didn’t mince words. “The revelations by Mayor Magalong are nothing short of devastating,” he said.

“Congressman Chel Diokno’s exposé during the budget hearings confirms what many of us feared: ghost hospitals linked to the Discaya couple, a defunded PhilHealth, and a health workforce left to fend for itself,” he added.

He lamented that the DoH, an institution that should be caring for the nation, “has instead become a symbol of betrayal.”

“We are witnessing a collapse — not just of infrastructure, but of integrity,” Leachon said.

Last week, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa confirmed that his department was investigating an unfinished health facility in Zamboanga, reportedly built by a company owned by contractor-couple Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya — the same pair now under scrutiny for their alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

“The Independent Commission for Infrastructure must act now,” Leachon stressed. “Probe the DoH. Follow the money. Unmask the networks. This is not mere negligence — it’s systemic corruption. It’s kleptocracy masquerading as public service. And in the wake of the floods and disease, it has birthed a new epidemic: Kleptospirosis.”

The Discayas, who own St. Timothy Construction Corp., are among those being investigated for irregularities in DPWH projects. They, along with Senator Mark Villar — who served as DPWH secretary from 2016 to 2021 — were summoned to appear before the ICI on Tuesday, ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka said.

Hosaka said in a message that the three are set to face the commission at 9 a.m. at the ICI headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

“The ICI continues to organize and address administrative matters while building up cases and reviewing evidence,” Hosaka said.

Meanwhile, DoH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said the department welcomed Magalong’s interest in looking into alleged misuse of the MAIFIP funds. “We will cooperate fully,” he said earlier.

Marcos: Follow process,

not shortcuts

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for his part, said that while corruption must be punished, the government must strictly adhere to due process.

“We have to prove it,” the President said. “We don’t want to go after people who are innocent. Now, we know many of these people are not innocent. But if we are going to bring them to court, we must have a very strong case.”

Marcos acknowledged the public’s frustration over the perceived slow pace of accountability but said that rushing weak cases would only lead to failure.

“What will happen if we rush it? The evidence is incomplete, the evidence is unclear — but we still push through. We’ll lose our case,” he said.

He likened corruption to a moral rot.

“I call them sins; it’s no longer just mistakes or corruption — the sins they committed are hard to swallow,” Marcos said.

The President said justice must be built on solid proof, not political pressure or finger-pointing.

“People will say, ‘Hindi ako yan, si ganito yan — That’s not me, it’s him.’ We can’t let that happen. Let’s make sure we get the real culprits,” he said.

Marcos said his administration’s approach — slower but more methodical — is rooted in the rule of law.

“We are a people of laws,” he said. “We have to follow the law. Otherwise, whatever we do is not legitimate.”