President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should ensure that a capable replacement will fill the void left by former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon made the statement on Wednesday as he called the resignation a major misfortune.
‘The resignation of former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is a serious setback to its fact-finding work, particularly as Sec. Singson had insider access, institutional memory and a deep understanding of the goings-on in the DPWH,’ he explained.
‘The president should appoint a replacement with the same level of expertise and integrity as Sec. Singson, as domain knowledge on infrastructure planning, budgeting and implementation is indispensable to the ICI’s mandate,’ he said.
Ridon thinks that Marcos should now appoint a replacement that will have the same level of expertise as Singson, a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief during former President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III’s tenure.
Singson was credited for implementing reforms and transparency measures at the department.
ICI Chairperson Andres Reyes Jr. announced earlier that Singson resigned as a member of the body, citing stress and the toll that the mission is taking on his body.
Singson was appointed last September to the ICI, the independent body mandated to check the alleged corruption in the country’s infrastructure program, particularly flood control projects.
Palace press officer Claire Castro, who made the announcement on Singson’s appointment, said that Singson ‘led one of the most significant reform efforts in the agency’s history, introducing systems to promote transparency, eliminate ghost projects, and ensure proper use of public funds.’
Aside from concerns over Singson’s replacement, Ridon also said that the ICI should avoid going beyond its authority, as there are supposedly some instances where possible complaints have been referred to the Office of the Ombudsman without the independent body interviewing the lawmakers concerned first.
‘At the same time, the ICI should avoid any indication of due process overreach, which seemed apparent in its joint referral with the DPWH against alleged congressmen-contractors,’ he recommended.
‘We have noted that the ICI joined the referral to the Ombudsman, even though these alleged congressmen-contractors had not yet been invited by the ICI for deliberative proceedings,’ he recalled.
‘The ICI should also adopt strict rules on the availment of executive sessions by invited resource persons,’ Ridon said.
‘Only matters involving national security or legitimate state secrets should qualify as allowable grounds for executive sessions, to ensure that the public’s right to know, and the demands of accountability are not unduly curtailed,’ he added.
Last November, the ICI recommended to the ombudsman the filing of criminal and administrative cases against the following former and incumbent lawmakers who have alleged links with contractors:
Former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co (FS Co. Builders Supply)
CWS party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola (Newington Builders, Inc., Lourel Development Corporation, S-Ang General Construction and Trading Inc.)
Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. James Ang Jr. (IBC International Builders Corporation, Allencon Development Corporation)
Pusong Pinoy party-list Rep. Jernie Nisay (JVN Construction and Trading)
Bulacan 2nd District Rep. Augustina Pancho (C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.)
Cagayan 3rd District Rep. Joseph Lara (JLL Pulsar Construction)
Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Matugas (Boometrix Development Corp.)
Tarlac 3rd District Rep. Noel Rivera (Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corporation)
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla also said that the investigation into the flood control project mess will affect more than 10 percent of the House members, as many lawmakers are also accused of being contractors.
‘Many will be affected. More than 10 percent of its members would be affected at the very least. Membership of the House,’ Remulla said.
‘But this is only low-hanging fruit. If this is eight, there will be around 12 to 15 more that have a conflict of interest. This will be painful, as I’ve said before. This entails a lot of sacrifice,’ he stressed.
Officials from the DPWH and ICI delivered boxes of their findings to the anti-graft body on November 26. The referral covers 1,300 infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2024.