Marcos moves to form fact-finding team on infrastructure issues

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo from PCO)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said his office is already drafting the executive order that will create an independent commission tasked with investigating the anomalous infrastructure projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the past three years of his administration.

He admitted that there is no structure yet, and even the number of its members — whether five or seven — has not been finalized.

Marcos did not mention the names of the possible personalities who may be part of the commission, but he would need people from different backgrounds.

READ: Dizon replaces Bonoan; ‘sweep’ of DPWH ordered

“We need forensic investigators… lawyers, justices, prosecutors, who will look at the evidence and look at the information that we have, and they will put together that information, and make the recommendation to either [Department of Justice] or the [Office of the] Ombudsman, depending on who is found to be liable for some of these nefarious activities,” he said at the sidelines of an event in Pasay City.

In a briefing at Malacañang on Monday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said all the findings of government agencies under the executive branch shall be submitted to the independent commission.

Its findings would then be used to make recommendations to prosecuting bodies, such as the DOJ or the Ombudsman, on the government officials or private individuals who should be charged.

Independent commission

According to Marcos, the independent commission can also recommend to the chief executive “on what to do with certain parties who have been found to be part of all of this corruption that’s been going on, not only in flood control but all of the works within the DPWH.”

“Unfortunately, the more we look, the more [corruption] we find. So this really needs to be cleaned out properly,” he added.

Castro said the president would be thorough in screening those who would be members of this third-party body.

They must be untainted by corruption issues, “truly be independent, and should not engage in politicking.”

Some names, however, were being pushed to constitute this commission.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who was among the first to expose the connivance of lawmakers and DPWH officials in earning kickbacks in government infrastructure projects, volunteered to lead the third-party audit of flood control projects.

Former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson also expressed willingness to lead the investigation, after declining the offer of President Marcos to return to the agency.

General Nicolas Torre III was also floated to lead the independent body after he was unceremoniously sacked as chief of Philippine National Police last week, more than a year before his scheduled retirement on March 11, 2027.

Fast-track

Meanwhile, Mamamayang Liberal (ML) party-list Rep. Leila de Lima urged the President to fast-track the creation and constitution of this independent commission.

“If the establishment of an independent and comprehensive investigation continues to be delayed, it only gives corrupt officials, shameless contractors, and syndicates within the DPWH the chance to cover up evidence or divert the issue to escape accountability,” she said in a statement.

According to De Lima, the government urgently needs an independent body “to get to the root of corruption in all government projects.”

“To strike at the heart of the problem and finally put an end to this exploitation, we must dig up the roots, cut the networks of the corrupt, and hold accountable all those involved, including the powerful figures behind these anomalies,” she said.

De Lima, along with other lawmakers, has opposed the Congress from conducting its own investigation, citing issues of conflict of interest, propriety, and prudence, as several congressmen and senators have been dragged into the issue.

She recommended that the commission must be composed of “impartial and principled investigators — legal experts, auditors, and other technical specialists—who will lead the probe with competence and integrity.”

This body should also be assisted by the National Prosecution Service, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Commission on Audit, DPWH, and other relevant government agencies, along with representatives from key industries and civil society.

“It is likely that there are still many other projects completed or being built whose main purpose is to generate profit rather than to improve service quality and provide long-term benefits to Filipinos,” De Lima said.

“The anomalies in flood control projects could very well be just the tip of the iceberg of a much deeper and more widespread corruption problem,” she added.

READ: Marcos: Bonoan resigns as DPWH chief over ‘command responsibility’

Finally yielding on the recommendation of some lawmakers and stakeholders, Marcos said on Sunday he would create an independent commission to investigate flood control anomalies.

The third-party body will conduct “a comprehensive review of projects, identify irregularities, and recommend accountability measures to ensure public trust in infrastructure spending.”

The decision came after he plucked Vince Dizon from the Department of Transportation and appointed him as the new DPWH secretary. Dizon replaced Bonoan whose resignation was accepted by the president. /mr