MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assured the public that the establishment of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) was legally sound, emphasizing that top legal authorities were consulted before its creation to investigate alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
Speaking to the Philippine media in Busan, South Korea, after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, Marcos said he had anticipated that the ICI’s legality would be questioned before the Supreme Court.
“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,” the President said.
“I was sure somebody would have an idea that maybe it’s unconstitutional or that it’s unlawful. We’ll just have to answer those allegations and we’ll see how the Supreme Court decides,” he added.
Marcos said he would personally review the petition upon returning to Manila. “And we’ll just have to explain what it is we’re trying to do. And maybe the methodology of it is something that needs to be amended. But still, the SolGen (Office of the Solicitor General) will defend our position in the Supreme Court,” he said.
Despite the looming legal challenge, the President expressed confidence that the government acted within its powers in establishing the body.
“Because before we started even thinking about organizing the ICI, I made sure that I got legal opinions from the best legal minds that I know — basta ‘yung kilala ko talagang napakagaling ang legal mind. So, the opinion that came back was favorable. So I do believe we are on firm legal ground here,” Marcos said.
The ICI was created through Executive Order No. 94 signed on September 11, giving it the mandate to investigate alleged irregularities in flood control and related infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over the past decade./PN
