By Brian Campued
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will now go into transition as it finalizes its remaining case referrals to the Office of the Ombudsman on the multibillion-peso flood control anomalies.
This was announced by ICI Chairperson Andres Reyes Jr. in a statement Friday, which was released shortly after Commissioner Rossana Fajardo stepped down from the body.
Reyes noted that Fajardo’s resignation “comes at a natural point in the Commission’s work,” adding that the ICI was created with a “clear, time-bound mandate”—to gather evidence, establish facts, and propose reforms.
“To ensure the fulfillment of its mandate, the Commission will now focus on finalizing the remaining items that will be submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in order to strengthen and add to the growing number of cases that will eventually be filed with the courts, and hold those involved accountable,” he said.
“The Commission remains fully committed to submitting all its final recommendations and ensuring that the appropriate institutions—particularly the Ombudsman—have everything they need to bring these cases forward. The public can be assured that accountability continues, and the process that the ICI began will move toward its proper legal conclusion,” he added.
In her statement, Fajardo said her resignation would be effective Dec. 31, noting that she has completed the work she set out to accomplish—ensuring that “the foundational goals of the Commission have been met.”
A certified public accountant with over three decades of experience in auditing, internal controls, and risk management, Fajardo said her work at the ICI focused on strengthening financial oversight and advancing probes into infrastructure projects.
“Throughout my tenure, I have developed comprehensive approaches for evidence gathering, prepared detailed work plans, and supervised volunteer efforts in investigations,” she emphasized.
“My contributions have led to recommendations aimed at improving government procurement and budgeting processes related to infrastructure projects,” she added, stressing that investigative and prosecutorial responsibilities should now be handled by agencies, such as the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.
She also cited the prioritization of bills seeking to create a permanent, more powerful body that would be better equipped to support prosecutions involving anomalous infrastructure projects.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. previously urged Congress to prioritize the passing of bills aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in government, such as the proposed Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption and the Independent People’s Commission.
Fajardo is now the third ICI official to step down from the body, following former Department of Public Works and Highways (DWPH) secretary Rogelio Singson, who resigned in early December.
Back in September, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong also resigned as the Commission’s special adviser. He was replaced by former Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr.
The remaining officials in the ICI are Reyes, Azurin, and Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka.
To date, the ICI has filed eight case referrals with the Office of the Ombudsman, involving nearly 100 individuals allegedly involved in the flood control anomalies. Ombudsman filed three cases with the courts, and it resulted in the arrest of 16 individuals for non-bailable crimes.
The Commission has also proposed several reforms to break the cycle of corruption, including the opening of the national budget process to full public scrutiny as well as the automatic furnishing of all DPWH contracts and transactions exceeding P30 million to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. (with report from Harley Valbuena / PTV News)
-jpv
