The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Wednesday sent an invitation to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and a subpoena to resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co to appear in its flood control probe hearing on October 14.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman was also invited to attend the hearing on Tuesday for ICI to seek authoritative guidance from the Department of Budget and Management about the National Expenditure Program and General Appropriations Act.
ICI will also inquire about programs linked to the ghost or substandard flood control projects, as well as the procedures for the release of the unprogrammed funds.
Based on the invitation to Romualdez and the subpoena issued to Co, both signed by ICI Chair Andres Reyes, the hearing set for Tuesday will be at 10 a.m. at the commission’s office in Taguig City.
Meanwhile, Pangandaman was asked to attend the hearing at 9 a.m.
Hearing invitation for Romualdez
Reyes asked Romualdez in the letter to appear before the ICI’s hearing on Tuesday to discuss his ‘familiarity and personal knowledge as Speaker of the House relative to the National Budget insertions, and as well as the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) flood control projects.’
Romualdez was included in the copy of ICI’s immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) request to the Department of Justice (DOJ) dated this Wednesday.
Along with him in the ILBO list were Senators Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, ex-senators Bong Revilla and Nancy Binay, and several others.
Earlier, a former security consultant of Co said in a Senate Blue Ribbon committee that Romualdez allegedly received kickbacks from government projects. The Leyte 1st District Representative denied the allegation.
Subpoena vs Co
Meanwhile, the subpoena against Co stated that the resigned lawmaker is ‘hereby commanded and required to appear before the Commission to testify under oath relative to your personal knowledge ever since you joined the Committee on Appropriations of the National Budget insertions and your involvement in DPWH flood control projects.’
Co was directed to bring the following upon his appearance before the commission:
1. Contracts, records and reports related to any government projects, project proposals, feasibility studies and master plans for flood control projects that you or the corporation where you or your family have beneficial interest
2. Accounting forms and documents such as, but not limited to vouchers, invoices, official receipts, etc., relevant to the contracts, records and reports in No. 1
3. Incorporation and registration documents such as, but not limited to, the following:
Articles of Incorporation
Certificate of Business Registration
Latest General Information Sheet (including beneficial owner information)
Latest Financial Statement
Department of Trade and Industry (DTT) Registration
Latest Income Tax Return
License from the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board
The DOJ earlier requested the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a blue notice on Co, as the resigned lawmaker has yet to be tracked down.
Recently, the ICI urged the Office of the Ombudsman to determine the appropriate charges to be filed against Co and 17 other public officials in connection with the alleged anomalies in a P289.5-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
He also denied allegations that he was involved in flood control anomalies. /apl