SENATE President Tito Sotto III said he will ask President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent a bill institutionalizing an Independent People’s Commission (IPC).
Sotto said Senate Bill 1215 would ensure that the President’s Executive Order creating the IPC would continue and become a permanent law.
“While the President’s Executive Order is immediate, my bill ensures permanence,” Sotto said in a statement on Sunday, referring to Executive Order 94 creating the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI).
The three-member ICI will hear, investigate and gather evidence on anomalies, misuse of funds, and possible corruption in the planning, financing, and implementation of government projects, with priority on flood control works in the past 10 years.
“The IPC will not just be a stop-gap measure; it will institutionalize oversight and prevent instances like this from happening again in the future,” Sotto said.
He said that the panel will not only look into projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), but also other agencies with infrastructure programs, such as the Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Education.
“Corruption in projects does not only happen in roads and bridges. It also affects farm-to-market roads, hospitals and schools,” Sotto said.
“That’s why this bill is important because it protects taxpayers’ money and makes sure projects truly serve the people,” he said.
Sotto also welcomed the filing of a similar bill in the House of Representatives.
“It doesn’t matter which chamber moves first,” he said. “Whether House or Senate, what’s important is that Congress acts fast so we can pass this into law without delay.”
He said the IPC is important because it would help “bring back people’s trust, protect public funds, and make sure government projects are done properly and for the benefit of Filipinos.”
