Legislated probe body

It’s no wonder, the ICI’s creation was questioned for the third time before the SC.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

Since its creation almost three months ago, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) have so far come out with five interim reports. The ICI submitted its first-ever interim report last Sept. 29 to the Office of the Ombudsman. In a 32-page report, the three-man ICI chaired by retired Supreme Court (SC) associate justice Andres Reyes Jr. flagged possible anomalies in a P289.5-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

The ICI asked the anti-graft body to determine “appropriate charges” to be filed against 18 public officials who included Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and district engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) implicated on the alleged “ghost” flood control projects.

Acting on the ICI complaint, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla officially filed formal charges against Co and his other co-accused DPWH officials before the Sandiganbayan last Tuesday. One count of malversation and two counts of graft were lodged against Co and DPWH Region 4 officials and executives of construction firm Sunwest Inc. owned by Co's family.

In its second interim report, the ICI recommended to the Ombudsman “appropriate charges” to be filed against Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada as well as Co and DPWH Bulacan district engineers for their alleged roles in a kickback scheme involving flood control projects in the province.

It was on the third, fourth and fifth interim report referrals that the ICI recommended the filing of administrative charges against resigned DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, his former undersecretaries Roberto Bernardo and Maria Catalina Cabral and 8 other DPWH officials. They were charged for grave misconduct, gross dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, or violations of the Anti-Graft Law.