Marcos urged to certify bill creating independent commission to probe flood control mess

ML Partylist Representative Leila de Lima on Sunday urged President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to certify as urgent the proposed measure creating an independent commission that would investigate the anomalous flood control projects. 

“Hindi uubra ang mababaw at patingi-tingi na pagiimbistiga. Kailngan may ngipin. Kelangan tunay na independent ang commission,” De Lima said before anti-corruption September 21 protest at Rizal Park in Manila. 

(A shallow and piecemeal investigation is not enough. We need teeth. a real and stronger investigation. We need a true and independent Commission.)

Earlier this month, Marcos signed Executive Order No. 94, which established the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. 

Meanwhile, some lawmakers, including De Lima, filed House Bill 4453 or An Act Creating An Independent Commission To Investigate The Misuse Of Funds For Flood Control And Other Infrastructure Projects, Granting It Broad Investigative And Subpoena Powers, Providing For A Secretariat, And For Other Purposes, which she is one of the principal authors.

De Lima, a lawyer and former justice secretary, said the proposed measure can institute or initiate an independent commission, administrative cases, and directly recommend to the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman. —RF, GMA Integrated News