House of Representatives Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III is looking at approving a bill strengthening the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) by November 17, Bulacan 6th District Rep. Salvador Pleyto said.
Pleyto in an interview at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday said that there are ongoing discussions about a bill seeking to institutionalize the ICI – particularly the proposal filed by lawmakers from the House minority bloc, like Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, Akbayan Reps. Chel Diokno, Percival Cendaña, and Dadah Kiram Ismula, along with Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice.
According to Pleyto, chairperson of the House committee on government reorganization, they are looking to wrap up panel discussions on the proposed measure so that by November 13, it will be up for consideration on second reading.
‘The Speaker would surely ask that this bill be certified as urgent. The good thing here is that, I think this will be passed because the Senate President [Vicente Sotto III] himself has filed a bill [.] after this, we have a timeline here, by [November] 17, the Speaker wants this sent to the Senate,’ Pleyto said, speaking in Filipino.
‘By [November] 17, that’s why we will bring it to the plenary session probably after [November] 13 so it can be considered for second reading, then for third reading so that we can send it to the Senate immediately, that’s our time flow,’ he added.
Pleyto said his committee conducted a briefing as Dy instructed him to hasten discussions on the Minority lawmakers’ bill, so that the ICI will be given more powers to conduct investigations on the flood control mess.
‘We called for a hearing because the instruction of the Speaker is to hasten discussions on these bill filed by Congresswoman Leila de Lima, together with Congressman Chel Diokno and 12 others,’ Pleyto said in Filipino.
‘These are briefings of the agencies like the DOJ (Department of Justice), Ombudsman, AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council), ICI [.] DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government). And these are aimed at strengthening and putting more teeth into ICI. We know that they do not have contempt powers, they cannot issue subpoena, we will also give them the power to issue hold departure orders,’ he added.
The Minority solons announced last September 15 that they have filed House Bill (HB) No. 4453, which would give greater powers to an independent commission – despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already creating the ICI.
Under HB No. 4453 or the proposed Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption Act of 2025, the powers and functions of the commission are laid out – some of which, lawmakers said, are not available under Executive Order (EO) No. 94 which created the ICI.
Cendaña said back then that while they appreciate Marcos and Malacañang’s efforts, the President can show his sincerity and commitment to the fight for accountability if he certifies the bill as urgent.
Erice, meanwhile, said that two of the powers they seek to provide ICI is the ability to cite uncooperative individuals for contempt, and the power to summon documents that may be in the hands of other investigating bodies.
De Lima on the other hand explained that EO No. 94 can be terminated easily through a sitting president’s discretion – unlike the law that HB No. 4453 seeks. According to de Lima, there is a ‘sunset provision’ in EO No. 94, which states the ‘ICI shall be rendered functus officio upon the accomplishment of the purposes for which it was created or unless sooner dissolved by the President.’
Section 3 of HB No. 4453 meanwhile sets a two-year period of existence for the independent commission, which may be extended through legislation.
Marcos last September 11 formalized the creation of the ICI, to check corruption in flood control projects and other public works over the years, or from 2013 up to the present.
Despite the initiative, there have been concerns about the ICI’s procedures. Earlier, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said a congressional investigation on possible corruption surrounding farm-to-market roads is necessary, since there are pending issues about ICI’s transparency efforts.
Tinio in an interview was asked why he and the rest of the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution No. 421 – a call on the House of Representatives to check on the alleged overpricing of farm-to-market roads – when such issues can be left to the ICI, the same body doing the flood control probe.
Tinio in response said it is good that all avenues for investigation will be exhausted, noting that the House and the Senate’s separate investigations on the flood control issues yielded good results. Also, the ACT Teachers solon said the ICI has yet to resolve calls for livestreaming of the hearings.