MANILA, Philippines – “Disappointed at Frustrated.”
Ito ang pahayag ni Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima sa desisyon ng Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) na gawing closed-door ang pagdinig nito sa imbestigasyon sa anomalya sa flood control projects.
“ICI was created to seek for truth, justice and accountability. And transparency is an essential ingredient thereof, since its purpose would be defeated if its hearings are not accessible to the public,” pahayag ni De Lima.
“This is very disappointing and frustrating—a body with limited powers to investigate anomalous flood control projects, and which is merely a recommendatory board, is not fully accessible to the public,” dagdag pa nito.
Kinuwestiyon din nito ang transparency kung hindi magkaroon ng live streaming sa pagdinig ng ICI.
“When everyone is fully engaged on the issue of corruption as revealed by the Congressional hearings, here comes ICI denying what the public wants. Saang banda ang transparency dun?” giit ni de Lima.
Ang ICI na pinamumunuan ni Supreme Court (SC) Justice Andres Reyes Jr. ay nagsasagawa ng closed-door hearings at pulong sa kanilang headquarters sa Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City.
Umaasa si de Lima na irekonsidera ng ICI ang kanilang posisyon ukol sa closed door hearing, aniya, hindi lamang sa mga akusado nakatutok ang taumbayan sa isyu ng flood control mess kundi pati na rin sa nag-iimbestiga. Gail Mendoza
