By Lade Jean Kabagani
Copyright tribune
Malacañang on Tuesday clarified that the newly established Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will collaborate with, and not duplicate or contradict, the efforts of other government agencies already investigating alleged anomalies in flood control projects. In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized that the ICI was formed with the mandate to coordinate closely with various government bodies in pursuit of truth and accountability. “Ang ICI po ay binigyan ng kapangyarihan upang makipag-collaborate, upang tawagin ang anumang ahensiya ng gobyerno na maaaring makatulong sa pag-iimbestiga (The ICI has been granted the authority to collaborate and to summon any government agency that may be able to assist in the investigation),” she said. Castro cited the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as key agencies already launching their own probes into alleged corruption and bid-rigging tied to infrastructure and flood mitigation projects. “Kasama na rin diyan ang NBI at ang iba pong mga law enforcement agencies. At ang gagawin ng DOJ ay hindi naman po sila gagawa ng maaaring kumontra o mag-overlap sa adhikain at misyon ng ICI (That also includes the NBI and other law enforcement agencies. And what the DOJ will do is not something that would go against or overlap with the goals and mission of the ICI),” she added.The DOJ recently created a special task force focused specifically on corruption in public works. The task force will be chaired by Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, with the NBI’s Public Corruption Division taking the lead in investigative work. According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, the goal of the task force is to accelerate the resolution of previous investigations, allowing for swifter filing of charges where warranted. Castro noted that this effort complements, rather than competes with, the ICI’s work. “Malamang at maaari nating masabi, ang gagawin pong task force na ito ay para mapabilis ang mga nauna nilang naimbestigahan. Kung mayroon na silang naimbestigahan noon, maaari na agad magsampa ng kaso, at hindi naman ito tututulan ng ICI (It’s likely, and we can say that this task force will be created to expedite the investigations they have previously conducted. If they have already investigated something before, they can immediately file a case, and the ICI will not oppose this),” she further pointed out. Castro reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, especially in critical infrastructure projects aimed at disaster mitigation. The ICI was recently formed amid growing public scrutiny of reported irregularities in flood control spending, including alleged collusion among contractors and government officials. Its work is expected to complement existing mechanisms and strengthen institutional checks in government infrastructure development.
