Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday said she believes that the government formed the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to ‘legitimize’ its narratives on corruption through reports made by the commission.
This is what Duterte answered when she was asked to assess the investigations done by the ICI so far.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through Executive Order No. 94, created the ICI to investigate corruption in all infrastructure works of the government, including flood control projects, over the past years.
Duterte said she wondered why the probe body was formed in the first place, emphasizing that the Office of the President could do a ‘case buildup’ on the corruption issues surrounding infrastructure works in the country.
‘I don’t know why the ICI conducts investigations because it’s easy. The Office of the President has billions of confidential funds. The office can do case buildup using the resources of the Office of the President,’ she said in Filipino during an interview in Manaoag, Pangasinan.
The three-member probe, composed of a chairperson and two members, has invited personalities and politicians implicated in the corruption of infrastructure projects in the country. Several government agencies have also attended meetings with the commission.
‘I believe, and based on what I read, on what he does, he wanted to form ICI and of course, we won’t know what the commission will talk about inside,’ she said.
In a previous statement, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said that while the hearings of the ICI are currently not being livestreamed, the commission is aware of public demands to make them available online.
Hosaka stressed that the ‘ICI is avoiding trial by publicity, and will not allow it to be used for any political leverage or agenda by any individual or group.’
‘They opened ICI so whatever its investigation report is, that will be the official narrative on the corruption that happened,’ Duterte noted, adding that whatever the reports from the ICI will be fed to the public for them to know what will be done.
She added: ‘That way, you as a citizen will not be able to dispute and oppose the results because he will say, ‘No, that’s legitimate. I formed the commission, the commission is investigating, there’s a commission report.’
Hosaka last Wednesday said that contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya will no longer cooperate in the investigation into the alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
Hosaka explained that the Discayas expected to get a ‘favorable recommendation from the commission as state witnesses’ if they cooperated. However, the couple pointed out a recent interview by ICI member and former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson that influenced their decision.
Hosaka noted Singson’s personal opinion that the latter sees no witness who may be recommended by the probe body as a state witness.
Meanwhile, Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, who appeared for the first time before the commission last October 14, denied allegations that he had kickbacks from government infrastructure projects.
The ICI on Saturday then asked to postpone the hearing originally set on October 22, as he will undergo a medical procedure.