16 senators sign report on bill for powerful IPC

MANILA, Philippines —  Sixteen senators signed the committee report on the bill creating a more powerful Independent People’s Commission (IPC), which inched closer to approval after being formally sponsored in the plenary Wednesday night.

Senate justice committee chair Francis Pangilinan signed the report as sponsor of the measure, which seeks to abolish the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and replace it with the IPC, which has a more sweeping mandate to investigate government infrastructure anomalies.

In his sponsorship speech, Pangilinan called for the swift passage of the bill to create the IPC as a “people’s watchdog” against corruption.

The senators who signed the report are co-authors Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senators Erwin Tulfo and Risa Hontiveros; Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Bong Go, Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Mark Villar, Loren Legarda, Bam Aquino, Joel Villanueva and Robin Padilla.

Sotto in his co-sponsorship speech said he filed the bill “to demand accountability from those who took advantage of the flood control and other infrastructure budget for their personal gain at the expense of the suffering of the people.”

While the country always bears the brunt of typhoons and recovers from the aftermath, Sotto said “resiliency should not be celebrated when accountability is undeniably lacking.”

“Through this bill, we will be creating a balanced, effective and most importantly, an independent investigative body tasked to look into this systematic corruption through which billions of pesos intended for infrastructure projects have been lost,” Sotto said.

According to the bill, the IPC would be tasked “to investigate anomalies, document and recommend measures to address corruption, mismanagement and negligence in the planning, procurement and implementation of public infrastructure projects.”

“The Commission shall specialize in the technical, engineering and financial audit of such projects – including, but not limited to, procurement processes, contract variations, right-of-way acquisitions and project implementation – and shall serve as the primary repository of government infrastructure data,” the bill added.

IPC’s sweeping powers include subpoena powers to compel witness attendance and production of evidence; issue lookout orders and recommend hold departure orders; cite witnesses in contempt; grant witness immunity; have “full and unrestricted access” to all government records, reports and data; have access to bank records upon approval of the court; temporarily freeze illegally acquired money and assets; recommend the blacklisting of contractors in anomalous projects; preventively suspend officials under investigation.

The IPC also has the power to deputize the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies to protect witnesses, secure hearings, and serve summons; and recommend to the President and Congress ways to “strengthen infrastructure governance and prevent the recurrence of anomalies,” such as amending procurement laws, audit standards, contract protocols and project monitoring.

The Ombudsman and Department of Justice were also mandated to create a special team of prosecutors to assist the IPC’s corruption probe.

Members of the IPC – chaired by a retired Supreme Court justice and composed of an accountant, architect, engineer and a representative from civil society and academe – were given immunity from suit.

The IPC would also absorb the existing ICI staff and personnel to ensure continuity of investigation.

The bill contained a “sunset clause” for the IPC, which would only remain in force until the end of the Marcos administration on June 30, 2028, unless extended by another law.