All optics

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure is all optics. In the eyes of the people, it has been rendered irrelevant and insignificant. Its purpose is clear: to dupe the unthinking into believing that President Bongbong Marcos is doing something against corruption.

The interview of Karen Davila with former associate justice Conchita Morales, who was invited to join the ICI, was ominous for the fate of the commission. Please read:

Karen Davila: I am curious. Were you ever offered to join ICI because you have so much feedback from people saying Conchita Carpio-Morales should be in the ICI?

Conchita Carpio-Morales: I don’t know if I should reveal this publicly. Yes, I was asked to be the legal representative. They insisted. So I said no. I’m impervious to influence. I was very frank. I said I don’t like it that if and when I should be there I don’t like anyone to interfere in my work. There was no reaction. But as they said, “please for the love of country.” Then I said no give me an hour. Then they said two hours. Okay. In the interim, I tried to conjure things I would be putting as conditions in the event. I would not be honest if I would say I was not open to it but I was not very sure about it. So I had a mental exercise. I said what will I put as conditions? One of the conditions was that they should not interfere in my decision. I wanted to conduct an investigation. Two hours never came. I did not receive a call. Neither did I call.

Karen: At palagay ninyo bakit na hindi tumawag – because you’re impervious to influence?

Morales: Maybe. Of course, you have a lot of conjectures, but that could have been one of the reasons.

Karen: Would you have taken it?

Morales: If they accepted my conditions, I would probably have taken it. Conducting hearings in secrecy – I would not have allowed that so I would probably have been fired.

One after another, people of integrity left ICI. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, sensing that his independence would be compromised if he proceeded, was the first to leave. He would have been one of the faces of integrity and competence in the ICI.

Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio "Babes" Singson was next. His lament encapsulates what the ICI is all about: "We were absorbing a lot of the flak for powers we don't have," Singson said. Yes, ICI is powerless. And it was designed to be that way.

Singson further said, “Sa usapang matino, lumabas yung ICI, EO 94, walang budget. Kumbaga kung lumaban ka sa gyera, hindi ka naman binigyan ng armas. Anong mangyari sayo? Naka tiwang-wang ka lang. You cannot defend yourself. Wala kang powers. Mag-imbita ka, kung ayaw sumipot, wala kang magagawa. You don’t even have a subpoena powers. Gusto mong wag paalisin ang isang tao, we have to go to court for a hold departure order. Oh anong nangyari? Nakaalis. Sisisihin pa kami doon. Bakit hindi ninyo pinigilan? Wala nga kaming powers. Ipakulong nyo yan ang mga kurakot. Wala naman kaming power na magpakulong. So sinong sinisi? ICI. Ang bagal ‘nyo. You must be protecting the big fish. You must be protecting somebody. So binato na lahat sa ICI. That’s what I meant.”

ICI does not frighten the corrupt. Its creation emboldens them. Its target is not the masterminds but those at the bottom who got the crumbs. I just hope that it will not be weaponized against members of the opposition. Enough of the hypocrisy!