House ends flood control probe, shifts case to independent commission

MANILA, Philippines — The House Infrastructure Committee will no longer hold hearings into anomalous flood control projects to give way to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure's probe, Rep. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list) announced. 

Ridon, who chairs the tri-committee, explained that the joint panel's members found it necessary to suspend the lower chamber's investigation to ensure the "full and impartial" work of the independent body. 

"Today, we are announcing the suspension of proceedings of the House Infrastructure Committee to give way to the full and impartial proceedings of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure," he said on Wednesday, September 24. 

All findings, transcripts and documentary evidence used and produced by the House Infra Comm have been turned over to the ICI. Ridon said this is the committee's way of showing its "commitment to fully cooperate" with the independent commission. 

The lower chamber's probe, however, already faced criticism from minority lawmakers for proceeding with its hearings even after several lawmakers had been implicated in the alleged kickback scheme. This, on top of the reported ties some lawmakers have with active government contractors.  

Although House Speaker Bojie Dy made the request, Ridon clarified that suspending the session remained the committee’s prerogative and was not merely to accommodate the new speaker’s wish.

Give ICI contempt powers

The committee will be filing legislative measures in relation to strengthening oversight of public infrastructure projects, such as allowing the private sector to conduct inspections and "legitimate" civil society to participate in project procurement. 

In terms of project and budget proposals, Ridon said the committee plans on mandating that project proponents be identified throughout the budget process. 

To strengthen the ICI, the committee also seeks to grant the commission subpoena and contempt powers. Rep. Leila de Lima (ML Party-list) and 11 other lawmakers already filed a bill for the proposed commission before the ICI was established. 

"We trust that through its work, the ICI will be able to ensure transparency, that it will be able to ensure accountability, and most important of all, that it will be able to ensure justice," Ridon said. 

What the panel found

The House Infra Comm, while only holding two hearings, resulted in several bombshell statements from now-dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers from Bulacan, as well as the disclosure of top contractors' financial statements. 

Former Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara, at the first hearing alone, admitted to certifying flood control projects as complete without verification, calling himself "negligent." 

RELATED: Ex-Bulacan DPWH engineer admits 'negligence' over ghost project

It was also at the House probe that his deputy, assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, first tagged Sens. Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada in the alleged kickback scheme in public infrastructure projects in Bulacan.

Hernandez bared to the committee screenshots of conversations that Alcantara had with Villanueva and photos linking his former chief to Estrada. While Alcantara adamantly denied these allegations at the hearing, he eventually confessed at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. His testimony now slightly aligns with that of Hernandez's. 

In its second and last hearing, the committee also saw how the revenue of the Discayas' eight construction firms ballooned over the past decade. Specifically, during the Duterte administration, their gross income spiked.

In one year alone, from 2016 to 2017, the firms' revenue jumped elevenfold from P99.25 million to P1.034 billion. The same pattern was observed from 2017 to 2018. However, construction magnate Curlee Discaya failed to recall the numbers or even potential politicians seeking kickbacks from projects they handled. 

RELATED: Discaya fails to recall profits, kickback-seeking politicians in Duterte admin

Ridon also commended the committee for implementing transparency measures, which include the conflict-of-interest disclosure mandates of participating House members.

However, this written disclosure is simply a sworn statement declaring that one does not exhibit a conflict of interest with the probe. No other documents were required to submit for verification. 

RELATED: Conflict disclosures in House flood control probe hinge on lawmakers’ honesty

While the House has suspended its probe, the Senate still plans to proceed with its own, despite sitting senators facing accusations of receiving kickbacks. 

The independent commission has been holding closed-door hearings, inviting House lawmakers and senators as resource persons while conducting field inspections of substandard and nonexistent infrastructure projects across the country.