Marcos not surprised ICI's legality being questioned

BUSAN, South Korea - President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said he is not surprised that the legality of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is being questioned. 

''Well, you know, it's not exactly a surprise. The ICI is an entirely new entity that didn't exist before. That we are only now completely defining. So there will be questions as to its legality, its constitutionality. And somebody, I'm sure, I know that somebody will raise [it],'' Marcos told the Philippine media delegation.

''I don't know about the others but I was sure somebody would have an idea that maybe it's unconstitutional or that it's unlawful,'' he added.

Marcos said the government would answer the petition. Still, he is confident that the ICI is safe based on legal grounds.

''We'll see how the Supreme Court decides so I haven't looked into it in any great detail as yet,'' Marcos said.

On Thursday, a teacher filed a petition with the SC questioning the legality of Executive Order (EO) No. 94, which established the ICI.

In a 22-page petition, John Barry Tayam asked the high court to declare the validity and constitutionality of the ICI as well as to determine the lawful creation and scope of authority of the commission.

“Ang prayer ko naman dito ay bigyan nila ng ruling kung valid ba. Kasi ang issue na ni-raise ko dito, unconstitutional ba ‘yung EO 94 ni President Bongbong Marcos,” he said in an ambush interview.

(My prayer here is for them to issue a ruling on whether it is valid. Because the issue I raised is whether President Bongbong Marcos’ EO 94 is unconstitutional.)

The ICI was tasked to look into anomalies in infrastructure projects in the last decade, particularly the flood control programs.

Tayam cited the Philippine Truth Commission under the administration of late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, which was declared unconstitutional by the court for violation of the equal protection clause.

The Truth Commission was tasked to investigate the alleged corruption and cheating scandals of the Arroyo administration.

“While the ICI may not be identical to the PTC, a conflict of interest is nonetheless a concern, as the investigation centers on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) specifically, its previous secretaries and district engineers, all of whom fall under the Executive Branch headed by the President,” he said in the petition.

Tayam also expressed concern that the ICI may create redundancy with existing bodies such as the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice. —VAL/VBL, GMA Integrated News