Despite the current workload in the Senate due to the budget deliberations, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan assured on Thursday, October 23, the swift passage of the proposed measure to create an Independent People’s Commission (IPC) that will investigate anomalies in all government infrastructure projects.
The senator said during a radio interview that as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights—which held its first hearing on the IPC measure on Wednesday—he will sponsor the bill as soon as Congress resumes session in November.
“That’s why we’re committing to having this sponsored on the floor by first week, or second, at the latest, second week of November, at the earliest, the week that we resume sa Senado. And then we’ll take it from there,” he stated, while acknowledging the Congress’ current schedule of budget hearings and the looming Christmas break.
“Pero makakaasa sila na we will do this post-haste. Talagang, kailangan we have to make haste slowly. Ayusin natin, pero tiyakin natin na mabilis. No inordinate, ika nga, delay,” he added.
The senator also said he is ready to work with the House of Representatives for the passage of the law that will give more powers to the present fact-finding body investigating the multi-billion-peso flood control corruption scandal.
“Well, posible yan. May mga pagkakataon sa nakaraang mga Kongreso na ina-adopt ng either House yung version ng House o ng Senate para wala ng debate,” he responded when asked about the possibility of coordinating with the lower house to avoid the need for a bicameral conference and swiftly pass the proposed law.
“So, yes, we will discuss this with our counterparts sa house and then we will take it from there,” he said. “Maraming batas. Nangyari na yan. Hindi na dinebate. Nagkaroon, siyempre, ng kanya-kanyang version. Pero in the end, nung botohan na, manifestation na lang that the House, for example, adopts the Senate version in total, or vice versa.”
Senate Bill No. 1215, which will create the IPC, is authored by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senators Erwin Tulfo and Risa Hontiveros.
If passed, it will lead to the creation of the IPC, a permanent and non-partisan commission to investigate all infrastructure projects by the government. This law is being proposed amid the flood control corruption issue that has been gripping the nation for months.
It is also a response to concerns that the current Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)—which was created by an executive order from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.—lacks the necessary powers to go after those behind the corruption.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Pangilinan called on President Marcos to certify the bill as urgent to allow Congress to pass the measure on the same day.
“Pero sana nga, ma-certify ng mas agad-agad dahil time is of the essence. Malaki ang kakulangan doon sa gaps, sa kapangyarihan ng current ICI na kailangan punuin. So, talagang kinakailangan mabilis,” the senator said.
“At yun din naman ang hinihingi ng taong bayan,” he added, citing several protests that call for the imprisonment of those involved in the issue. “Yan ang daing ng ating mga kababayan na dapat talagang matugunan ng agad-agad.”