Pangilinan urges Marcos: Make infra probe commission bill urgent

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Wednesday, 22 October, urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent a Senate bill that would create an Independent People’s Commission (IPC) to probe anomalies in all government infrastructure projects.

Pangilinan, chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said the IPC would be a permanent and nonpartisan body focused on investigating irregularities in government infrastructure projects.

“If enacted into law, this commission will be stronger and more independent compared to the current Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) under an executive order,” he said in Filipino.

Pangilinan explained that Senate Bill No. 1215 grants the IPC statutory permanence, full independence, and guarantees of transparency and fiscal autonomy.

With the proposed law designed to strengthen the commission’s powers, structure, and funding, he pointed out that it would protect the IPC from being politicized.

Pangilinan noted that the IPC would also cover all types of national and local government infrastructure projects, including those in education, agriculture, flood control, disaster resilience, and other sectors.

Under the proposal, the IPC shall submit its final report to the president and Congress within 30 days from the termination of its investigation. The report shall then be made public immediately after its submission.

“Because truth delayed is justice denied,” he stressed.

The ICI, established by Executive Order No. 94 from Marcos, is currently investigating a nationwide corruption scandal related to infrastructure projects, including the multibillion-peso flood control projects across the country.

On Wednesday, the ICI announced it was lifting its closed-door policy for investigations involving anomalous flood control projects.

The panel will start livestreaming its probe next week “once we are able to get the technical capabilities in place,” according to its chairperson, Andres Bernal Reyes Jr.