An urgent appeal signed by 34 major business organizations in the country strongly urged President Marcos Jr. to empower the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) with full legal authority to enable the probe body to conduct an independent, swift, comprehensive investigation, and to prosecute all responsible individuals, free from political influence.
The statement issued Sunday, Oct. 19, has called for urgent resolution “without delay” of the ICI’s probe on what they call as historic, massive, and unprecedented corruption scandal crippling the country’s flood control and infrastructure projects.
Calling the scandal “a crisis”, the group said it has “eroded public trust and now threatens our national security.”
“We have contributed to national funds thru taxes locally and nationally and have paid additional assessment of taxes. We provided many fees to enable us to do business. Yet, Trillions of pesos supplied and intended to protect our communities from disasters have been squandered through ghost projects, substandard work, and inflated contracts. This is more than financial loss — it is a fatal breach of public trust that leaves our people vulnerable and outraged,” part of the statement read.
The group also called for the implementation of institutional reforms, ensure restitution of ill gotten wealth and embezzled funds of the government, and strengthen procurement and oversight systems, preventing future abuse.
Lastly, the group wants the Marcos administration to provide regular public updates on the progress of investigations and reforms and to publicly disclose all audit findings to demonstrate genuine commitment and credibility.
“Mr. President, we strongly urge you to act decisively to signal your administration’s genuine commitment to justice, integrity, and accountable governance,” the statement concluded.
