Erice calls ICI a ‘paper tiger’ over weak authority

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Edgar Erice criticized the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) on Sunday, calling it a “paper tiger” due to its lack of sufficient authority to investigate anomalous flood control projects.

Erice said the ICI, created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., does not have enough legal power to carry out its mandate effectively. He warned that without proper legislation, the commission may fail to hold officials accountable for overpriced or anomalous infrastructure projects.

“Paper tiger. Hindi naman talaga independent [ang ICI] dahil ang nagpapasweldo ay ang Executive branch, ang Pangulo, kaya anytime, pwede niyang i-abolish 'to,” Erice said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(It’s a paper tiger. The ICI is not really independent because the salaries of its members come from the Executive Branch, the President, so he can abolish it anytime.)

“Wala ring contempt power. Wala ring financial and forensic audit na kapangyarihan para sa ledgers ng contractors. 'Yung access to infra records sa DPWH, COA pati 'yung witness protection at whistleblower mechanism papaano?” he added.

(The ICI does not have contempt power and financial and forensic audit power to check the contractor’s ledger. How about access to infrastructure records at the Department of Public Works Highways and the Commission on Audit, as well as the witness protection and whistleblower mechanisms?)

Erice further raised concern about the ICI’s lack of public disclosure rules.

“So marami talagang kakulangan ng ICI na ginawa na ito at baka lumabas na ito ginagawa lang to pacify our people (The ICI clearly has many shortcomings, and it might just turn out to be something made only to pacify our people),” he said.

Under Executive Order 94, the ICI was created to investigate the alleged anomalous infrastructure projects and ensure accountability in the use of public funds.

The lawmaker earlier said the House of Representatives can convene a special session to tackle the bill that would strengthen the ICI.

Erice added he pushed for a special session after contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya said they will no longer cooperate with the ICI.

In a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said conducting a hearing would suffice to tackle the proposed measure.

Sotto in August filed Senate Bill No. 1215, which seeks to create an Independent People’s Commission (IPC), an independent body tasked to investigate anomalies in all government infrastructure projects.

Despite being excluded from the priority measures of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, Sotto said the passage of the bill can be fast-tracked.

ML Party-list Representative Leila de Lima also filed a similar bill, and had urged Marcos to certify it as urgent. —RF/KG, GMA Integrated News