ICI must enforce stricter rules on executive sessions — Ridon

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) should have released clear and stricter rules on conducting executive sessions to maintain public transparency, House Committee on Infrastructure lead-chairman Representative Terry Ridon said Sunday.  

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Ridon said an executive session is given to a resource person if it concerns national security issues and state secrets.

“Lahat ng labas dito sa mga bagay po na ito, kailangan in open transparent proceedings po ito ginagawa,” Ridon said, hoping that ICI would follow the same process adopted by Congress.

(Everything outside of these matters must be carried out in open and transparent proceedings.)

“I would rather na umatras na lang ‘yung inimbitahan mga congressmen man ‘yan or sino pang invited resource person kesa ‘yung talaga to their face sinasabi nila na, ‘Gusto ko executive session’, on the basis of whatever reason,” he added.

(I would rather have the invited resource persons back out instead of having them say to our faces that they want an executive session for whatever reason.)

The lawmaker explained that the public expects a public hearing since it was done in Congress.

On October 7, the ICI held its first livestreamed hearing on the anomalous flood control projects.

It has granted executive sessions for Pasig City Lone District Representative Roman Romulo,  Bulacan First District Representative Danilo “Danny” Romulo, and House Majority Leader and Presidential son Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos.  

Before the decision to air the ICI proceedings live, ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka in September said hearings of the commission will not be livestreamed to avoid ‘trial by publicity’ and any political influence. — RF, GMA Integrated News