MANILA, Philippines – Malaki ang posibilidad na isama ng Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) sa gagawin nitong imbestigasyon sa flood control at iba pang infrastructure projects sa nakalipas na dekada ang pinsan sa byuda ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na si House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, gayundin ang mga kaalyado nito, partikular si dating House Appropriations Chair Zaldy Co.
“Well, there’s only one way to do it… they will not be spared. Nobody—anybody will see ‘ah, hindi, wala, wala tayong kinikilingan, wala tayong tinutulungan.’ Wala naman maniniwala sa iyo hangga’t hindi mo gawin eh, so gagawin namin. Alright,” ayon kay Pangulong Marcos sa press conference sa Kalayaan Hall, Palasyo ng Malacañang, Lunes, Setyembre 15.
Sa ulat, sinisisi ni Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco sina Romualdez at Co na nasa likod ng bilyong pisong halaga ng insertions o pagsisingit ng pondo sa infrastructure programs na nauna nang natuklasang substandard o non-existent.
Tiniyak ng Pangulo na “completely independent” ang ICI sa gagawin nitong imbestigasyon upang masiguro na walang magiging butas at hindi mapalabas ng kanyang mga kritiko na hindi patas ang hakbang ng gobyerno.
“That’s something that cannot be said if for example the Senate conducts… well, maraming nababanggit na senador; if the House conducts their investigation, marami ring nababanggit na congressman. Kaya sinasabi ng mga tao bakit naman nag-iimbestiga sila but they are investigating themselves, which is always a little bit of a difficult situation… it’s hard to be fair,” paliwanag ng Pangulo nang tanungin kung bakit bumuo siya ng ICI sa halip na atasan lamang ang NBI o DOJ.
“I would like to stress this over and over again: it is an independent commission. That is why we have taken great pains to make sure that independence is recognized and observed. And that’s the difference, that we can say at least this commission has no ties to any part of government,” dagdag pa niya.
Kung titingnan aniya ang komposisyon ng ICI, makikita na lahat ng personalidad ay hindi mula sa gobyerno, maliban na lamang kay Mayor Benjie Magalong.
“The reason he became special adviser [is that] he would have to give up his mayorship to take on this position. So, he chose to keep his mayorship, I don’t blame him. But nonetheless we can use his talent. But you know that this specific… that is for us the difference we can point to, to show that it is in fact independent,” ayon kay Marcos.
Ikinatuwiran pa ng Pangulo na kung Senado ang magsasagawa ng imbestigasyon ay maraming senador ang masasangkot, at kung Kamara naman ay maraming kongresista.
“They are investigating themselves… It’s hard to be fair,” ani Marcos. “Hindi kami makikialam sa trabaho nila. We are not going to direct them as to how they will conduct their investigations.”
“We have to make it nothing less than a turning point in the conduct of governance in the Philippines… We have to make a change, a fundamental change in the way we do business,” giit ng Chief Executive.
Samantala, nangako ang ICI na magsasagawa ng daily meetings, ngunit kung kailan at paano ide-deliver ang kanilang findings ay nakasalalay na sa panel.
Ang imbestigasyon, aniya, ay hindi dapat pinopolitika.
“The problem here is not the amount, the problem here is the use of those funds,” ani Marcos.
“The problem lies in the actual implementation of the projects and that is what we are investigating… Simple lang ito: magkano ang ninakaw na pera ng mga balasubas na ito?” dagdag pa niya.
“Remove politics, don’t politicize,” ang pakiusap ng Pangulo.
