ICI chair: Justice not enough; we need restitution

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) convened yesterday various government agencies for a closed-door meeting on recovering assets illegally acquired from anomalous flood control projects.

- EJ MACABABBAD

Andres Reyes Jr., ICI chairman, said returning stolen taxpayers’ money is essential to helping the nation “heal” from a “crisis.”

“All those persons responsible for this may be prosecuted and jailed, but to completely heal our nation, justice is not enough. We need restitution,” Reyes stressed minutes before the official start of the asset recovery meeting.

“These assets were purchased using funds; they belong to the Filipino people. Money that could have been spent on building schools, hospitals and road projects was instead burned wantonly on useless luxuries and vices,” the retired Supreme Court justice added.

Eighteen agencies participated in the asset recovery meeting, with representatives from each forming a technical working group on restitution, which will meet at least weekly, according to ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka.