Partylist Congressman Terry Ridon’s push for the revival of the Infracom — one of the hard-hitting members of the so-called “QuadCom” — could be the House of Representatives’ response once the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) wraps up its investigation into the P545-billion mess and fund-insertion scandal dating back to 2022.
Ridon made the remark after campus journalists attending the 27th Word Cup national campus journalism workshop at the storied Plaridel Hall of the National Press Club raised questions about the controversy.
Ridon of Bicol Saro Partylist said the ICI could have performed better if it had subpoena and contempt powers.
But the solon also conceded that despite its limited budget and authority, the ICI “delivered on its mandate in record time.”
“There are people already in jail,” Ridon said, stressing that the public is now waiting for the “big fishes”—Congressmen and Senators implicated by former DPWH officials—to be held accountable.
In a follow-up question on the status of the Anti-Dynasty Bill — given that many of the “big fish” belong to entrenched political families — the former Kabataan Partylist representative said he expects the House to pass the measure within “one or two months.”
“Speaker Dy has already gave his commitment, but I don’t know on the part of the Senate, since it was not only the Congressman, there are siblings, children or wife of an elected official,” Ridon explained.
Ridon is among the few lawmakers pushing to grant the ICI subpoena and contempt powers, noting that for now, “only small fry” have been investigated and jailed — “and not yet the big ones,” he lamented.
He said the ICI’s limited powers were evident in its inability to compel certain individuals to appear before the probe.
"Rep. Paolo Duterte allegedly made an insertion on the P51B infrastructure budget during his father’s presidency, but he declined the ICI invitation.”