Palace says Marcos wants independent commission to have subpoena power

Malacañang on Thursday said President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. wants the independent commission, which will look into anomalies in flood control projects, to have subpoena power. 

This was according to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro during a press briefing.

''Noon po ay sinasabi po natin na mukhang walang subpoena power. Pero ang nais po ng Pangulo sa nasabing independent commission ay mabigyan po ng lakas, mabigyan ng ngipin para po mas mapatupad kung ano ang mandato ng independent commission na ito. At nais po ng Pangulo na magkaroon po ng subpoena power ang independent commission,'' Castro said. 

(Before, we said that there would be no subpoena power. But the President wants the independent commission to have a teeth in implementing its mandate. The President wants the independent commission to have subpoena power.) 

She also said the executive order that will establish the independent commission is already being finalized.

''Finalizing na po, nasa... inaayos na po at may draft na po but finalizing pa rin po sa EO,'' Castro said.

(It's already being finalized. There's already a draft but the EO is being finalized.)

The Presidential Communications Office earlier said the body would conduct a comprehensive review of projects, identify irregularities, and recommend accountability measures to ensure public trust in infrastructure spending.

President Marcos has said the body would need forensic investigators, lawyers, justices, and prosecutors who will look at the pieces of evidence on these anomalous and ghost flood control projects.

Marcos had said he will issue an EO for the establishment of the independent commission. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News