US embassy exec meets with ICI

MANILA, Philippines — A representative from the United States embassy took time yesterday for a closed-door meeting with members of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to discuss the committee’s crucial work.

Michael Kelleher, the embassy’s acting deputy chief of mission, was personally welcomed by ICI chairperson Andres Reyes Jr. and member Rogelio Singson. Kelleher is the first diplomat to visit the ICI since its formation last month.

ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said the visit was an opportunity to discuss the inner workings of the fact-finding body, which is tasked to probe the multibillion-peso corruption in infrastructure projects.

“As one of the countries of great interest in the Philippines, [the US] was very much interested in what the ICI would do to address the problem of the flood control projects and other anomalous infrastructure projects,” Hosaka said.

“Basically, he wanted to know what we have done, what we will be doing, and what we expect from the ICI,” he added.

Hosaka said the US embassy has not offered any assistance, for now. “They haven’t reached that kind of offering yet,” he said.

The US State Department recently flagged the Bureau of Customs as “one of the most corrupt agencies in the country” after some firms reported being asked for bribes.

The report on investment climate, published on Sept. 26, has not yet factored in the billions of pesos lost on anomalous flood works and other infrastructure projects.