Bersamin: Independent commission won't interfere with ongoing Congress inquiries

The independent commission that will be established by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to investigate anomalous flood control projects won’t get in the way of the ongoing House and Senate inquiries on the controversy.

Bersamin was referring to the looming issuance of an Executive Order (EO) establishing an independent commission to investigate the ongoing substantard, if not ghost flood control projects.

“Thank you for this opportunity to say something about this statement of the President. We do confirm that we are working on an Executive Order that will deliver on what the President has started in the SONA (State of the Nation Address),” Bersamin said during the Office of the President’s presentation of its proposed P27 billion budget for 2026 before the House appropriations panel.

It was during his fourth SONA last July 28 when the President promised to crack the whip on public officials who profitted from the government’s infrastructure projects, including flood control projects.

“We are not yet sure when we will come out with an independent commission or body that would continue the query or inquiry into the issues that were raised in his SONA, as well as in later statements that the President made. We do not want to preempt the Congress, especially this House, from doing its own....taking the initiative...also in this respect. We will not be a hindrance there,” Bersamin said.

“The initial discussions in the Executive is that whatever commission is created by the presidential fiat would have a timeline, a sunset [provision]. And it becomes your privilege to look at it in the same way and maybe pass a law or laws regarding the investigation of these anomalies,” Bersamin added.

Bersamin, a former Chief Justice, said Congress conducting investigations is part of Congress’ oversight function.

“This EO [on flood control probe] will not be barring you from doing that because that is your institutional responsibility also. So that is the light in which we would like you to see this proposed EO that the Executive may come out with,” Bersamin said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News