1 month ago
19
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
December 28, 2025 | 4:29pm
Composite photo of former DPWH secretary Rogelio Singson (left), SGV.Co.'s managing partner Rossana Fajardo (center), former associate justice of the Supreme Court Andres Reyes Jr. and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
File photo from multiple sources; SGV.Co website
MANILA, Philippines — There have been no discussions on replacing officials who resigned from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said, as the administration shifts its focus to creating a new investigative body through legislation.
In a DZBB interview on Sunday, December 28, Castro said the administration is awaiting the passage of a law that would establish a new independent commission.
“Sa ngayon, walang napag-uusapan kung magkakaroon ng replacement,” Castro said. (For now, there have been no discussions about replacements.)
Castro added that the administration wants to avoid overlapping jurisdictions among the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, and the new body that is being proposed.
Resignations. On December 26, ICI Commissioner Rosanna Fajardo announced her resignation, saying she had completed the work she set out to accomplish.
She followed Benjamin Magalong, who resigned as ICI special adviser on September 26, and former public works secretary Rogelio Singson, who stepped down on December 3.
With their departures, former Supreme Court associate justice Andres Reyes remains the lone member of the commission.
'Urgent' new panel. Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the resignations underscore the urgency of passing a law to establish a permanent investigative panel.
He said the ICI has already demonstrated its value by uncovering evidence that could be used as a basis for criminal cases.
“The bill creating the IPC must be passed to institutionalize the function of the ICI and make it part of the law of the land,” Lacson said in a DWIZ interview, as quoted in a news release.
Under Senate Bill 1512, an Independent People’s Commission (IPC) would replace the ICI with a permanent body empowered to conduct comprehensive investigations into alleged anomalies in government infrastructure.
The proposed commission would have the authority to issue subpoenas, cite individuals in contempt, grant witness immunity, and recommend hold departure orders, among other powers.
Senate President Tito Sotto said the bill is likely to be approved next year, noting that lawmakers are expected to take it up after the completion of deliberations on the 2026 national budget. — with reports from Camille Diola
