Two years or two months: How long will the ICI actually last?

MANILA, Philippines – Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said the Independent Commission for Infrastructure might have “a month or two” left. But Andres Reyes, the ICI chair, shot back: the commission is set to run for two years.

“We will work very hard until whatever is the date of our existence,” Reyes said in a chance interview with the media on Wednesday, December 10.

Remulla earlier said the ICI’s days were numbered, and it would soon turn over its work to his office.

“‘Yun ang direksyon niyan, kasi hindi naman forever ang ICI at meron namang batas na nag-create ng Office of the Ombudsman na ngayon naman ay very active kami,” Remulla told GMA’s Unang Balita on Friday, December 5.

(That’s the direction where it’s headed, because the ICI isn’t meant to last forever, and there is a law that created the Office of the Ombudsman, which we are now very active in.)

The three-month old ICI was created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on September 11, to investigate allegations of multi-billion-peso corruption in flood control and other public infrastructure projects.

Under the current setup, ICI submits referrals to the Ombudsman. The constitutional body then conducts fact-finding and preliminary investigations, then later decides whether a case should be filed in court.

When asked if the commission is really shutting down, Malacañang neither confirmed nor denied it.

Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace hasn’t discussed the matter yet, but acknowledged that with the Ombudsman actively pursuing the same issues, “maaaring maging ganoon” (that’s a possibility).

On Tuesday, December 9, Marcos urged Congress to pass the Independent People’s Commission Act, which seeks to establish an independent body to investigate corruption.

Questions about the ICI’s lifespan come on the heels of the resignation of commissioner Babes Singson, who cited the commission’s lack of power to fully carry out its mandate.

The ICI has also been criticized for its limited transparency. While it began livestreaming its hearings, most resource persons managed to avoid public questioning by invoking executive sessions.

Since its creation, the ICI has submitted at least eight recommendations to the Ombudsman, one of which became part of the basis for a case later filed before the Sandiganbayan. – Rappler.com