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December 4, 2025 | 7:30am
Independent Commission on Infrastructure members Andres Reyes Jr. (L) and Rogelio Singson (R) answer questions at the Senate justice committee hearing the proposed measure creating an independent body that will focus on investigating anomalies in all government infrastructure projects on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.
Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — The resignation of former Public Works Secretary Rogelio "Babes" Singson from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has raised doubts among lawmakers about the body’s credibility as it probes the multibillion-peso corruption scandal.
In a statement on Wednesday, December 3, Rep. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list) described Singson's departure as a "serious setback" to the ICI's fact-finding work since he already had "insider access, institutional memory and deep understanding" of how the DPWH has long been operating.
Makabayan lawmakers, meanwhile, criticized Malacañang’s claim that the corruption probe is "nearing its end game," pointing out that the resignation of a member came at a critical time when the independent body’s workload is growing, with more allegations surfacing against high-ranking officials.
"This raises fundamental questions: What prompted Singson's resignation? Did he encounter political interference in the investigation? Was he prevented from going after the big fish? Ano ang tunay na nangyayari sa loob ng ICI?" they asked.
Singson, however, reportedly resigned due to the "intense and stressful" demands of the ICI, which have taken a toll on the 77-year-old, ICI Chair Andres Reyes said Wednesday.
Rep. Leila de Lima (ML Party-list) also called his resignation "a major blow" to the effort to strengthen the independent body and ensure a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the corruption scandal hounding infrastructure projects.
"Sec. Babes is truly someone we can rely on and trust in the fight against corruption, as he proved during his leadership at the DPWH," she said in Filipino.
De Lima said Singson's resignation should give the president all the more reason to certify the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) bill as urgent, which House Speaker Bojie Dy already promised to prioritize before the year ends.
Rep. Perci Cendaña (Akbayan Party-list) added that Singson offered "impartiality and credibility" in the ICI's investigation. Now that he has reportedly chosen to step back, the lawmaker said the independent body would be "hard pressed" to find a replacement with a similar level of expertise.
Singson has become the second official to resign from the ICI, following Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who served as the body's special adviser.
ICI questioned
The ICI has mainly functioned as a fact-finding body capable of holding hearings with implicated lawmakers and DPWH officials and recommending complaints that the Ombudsman can file.
Established in September, the ICI only began livestreaming its hearings in the first week of December. However, two lawmakers already got a free pass from public scrutiny when their request for an executive session was approved, even though their reasons did not involve "national security or legitimate state secrets," according to Ridon.
Other members of Congress, such as former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Chiz Escudero, also managed to avoid further public scrutiny when their hearings were not livestreamed.
Ridon said the ICI should implement and enforce strict rules for granting executive sessions to resource persons, ensuring that the public’s right to information and demands for accountability and transparency "are not unduly curtailed."
In its latest move, the ICI has recommended the filing of criminal cases against 10 former and current officials, including former Sen. Bong Revilla and Escudero's alleged bagman Maynard Ngu. It also called on the Ombudsman to initiate a case buildup for Escudero, Makati Mayor Nancy Binay, former Sen. Grace Poe and Sen. Mark Villar.
