The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has admitted that organizing the fact-finding body at a breakneck speed is a formidable task.
The executive order establishing the ICI has given its executive director 30 days from its effectivity date to determine the committee’s organizational structure, staffing pattern and corresponding qualification standards.
President Marcos signed the order on Sept. 11, leaving the ICI with less than a week to meet its requirements.
Brian Keith Hosaka, ICI executive director, appointed by the President on Sept. 24, confirmed to The STAR that the fact-finding body met with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday to hash out operational details.
Hosaka said the organizational structure and staffing pattern will be submitted early next week.
‘I plan to show it to the members of the commission also before submitting,’ he said in a message.
Staffing is an important component for the nearly one-month-old commission, given the huge mandate – and public expectations – bestowed on the ICI. All eyes are on the three members and the special adviser to get to the root of the multibillion-peso corruption hounding infrastructure projects.
‘The commission is busy organizing itself,’ Hosaka told reporters on Thursday, adding, ‘Things are happening too fast.’
He underscored the need to get its recruitment right because, ‘in any organization, what really is important are the people running it.’
‘We need the proper expertise because what we’re dealing with is not a simple matter,’ Hosaka said in Filipino. ‘We have to get lawyers, engineers and accountants because they assess the evidence received by the commission.’
In the end, he assured the public that while setting up operations is challenging, ‘we will manage.’