Rogelio “Babes” Singson has resigned as commissioner of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) barely three months after his appointment, making him the second high-profile official to leave the panel amid mounting concerns about its mandate and power to look into the corruption scandal centered on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
ICI chair Andres Reyes Jr. announced Singson’s resignation at a news conference on Wednesday. Singson quit his post for health and security reasons “because he is not used to this kind of life,” the retired justice of the Supreme Court said. “He mentioned the very intense and stressful ICI work that has taken its toll on his aging body.”
Reyes said Singson’s resignation takes effect on Dec. 15 but that he could extend his stay until the end of the year.
Malacañang respects Singson’s decision, according to its press officer Claire Castro. “The work of the ICI is truly difficult,” she told dzMM in Filipino on Thursday, adding that Singson’s resignation should not be viewed in a political light and that the ICI’s work would continue despite his departure.
In and out of hospital
In a press conference on Thursday, Singson told reporters that “because of the stress, my 77-year-old body cannot take it anymore. That’s the other half of the situation.”
He said he had submitted his irrevocable resignation effective Dec. 15 but has yet to speak with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The ICI was formed by the President in September through an executive order.
“I have been in and out of the hospital,” said Singson, who chaired the DPWH in 2010–2016 during President Benigno Aquino III’s term.
“So please try to understand. It is not that I don’t want to serve. It is just my body and also the stress on my family. We are not used to this heavy stress, including heavy security for the family’s safety,” Singson said, adding:
“I hope and I wish that that people will understand the reason for my resignation. I feel that I have done what I have to do for ICI, but I have to also answer to the needs of my family, family concerns, and my own personal life. I want to get back my privacy.”
“Candidly, when I accepted the job, I said my role here is good for three months,” he also said. “Justice Andy Reyes knows that.”
According to Singson, there was no political interference in the ICI that led to his resignation, even if he had told the commission “to focus on the top and not on the small fry.”
The ICI “does not have enough powers to be able to execute as quick as we can what we need to do,” he pointed out. “And that’s why I am appealing to Congress to pass the [proposed legislation creating] the Independent People’s Commission and the ICIAC (Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption). So hopefully by the end of the year we will have a much stronger, independent commission with proper power and authorities.”
Singson is the second member of the ICI to resign, after Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong who quit as special adviser two weeks after his appointment.
The President appointed Reyes, Singson, Magalong, and the seasoned accountant Rossana Fajardo to the commission to look into questionable multibillion-peso flood control and other infrastructure projects.
In November, Mr. Marcos said dozens of individuals involved in the flood control anomalies would be in jail before Christmas.
‘ICI now dead’
But Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice said in a statement on Wednesday that the ICI “is now dead and has no credibility” following Singson’s resignation.
“Coverup will require a series of coverups until it explodes right in their faces,” Erice told reporters without elaborating.
He said he was not surprised at Singson’s decision to quit, adding that they had exchanged text messages days earlier.
“He feels that, why would he allow himself and his family the risk, and sacrifice their privacy to solve the problem of Malacañang, family feud, and trying to find who stole from the government?” Erice said, quoting Singson. “He feels that they are becoming a punching bag and might be accused of being the washing machine. He also feels that without a congressional mandate of the ICI, they lack sufficient authority.”
Asked to confirm Erice’s statement, Singson laughed a little and said: “Maybe not a punching bag.”
He said the mess isn’t just the Palace’s mess but that of the whole country: “Hindi lang naman kalat ng Malacañang ito. Kalat ng buong Pilipinas.”
According to Erice, Singson felt that powerful people might even go after the members of the ICI. “That is why in our proposed bill, we are giving the commission immunity from suit,” the lawmaker said, referring to the bill seeking the creation of the ICIAC that would have broader powers compared to the ICI.
Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima said during the Nov. 30 protest at the People Power Monument on Edsa that the ICI lacks power.
“Yes, we can see the progress of the ICI. But let’s not be fooled: They lack power. They lack funding. Their scope is limited. It cannot be said that they are truly independent,” said De Lima, a former senator.
On Wednesday, she said Singson’s exit from the ICI is “highly regrettable” and “a major blow to our efforts to push for a truly independent, transparent, and comprehensive probe into the anomalous flood control and other government infrastructure projects.”
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said in a statement that Singson’s resignation from the ICI is “a serious setback in its fact-finding work” given the ex-DPWH chief’s insider access, institutional memory, and deep understanding of the goings-on in the agency.
Ridon said Mr. Marcos should appoint someone “with the same level of expertise and integrity” to replace Singson.
“The ICI should also adopt strict rules on the availment of executive sessions by invited resource persons. Only matters involving national security or state secrets should qualify as allowable grounds for executive session, to ensure that the public’s right to know and demands of accountability are not unduly curtailed,” the party-list lawmaker said.
The ICI has begun livestreaming its proceedings but has granted certain lawmakers’ request for an executive session.
Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña said Singson’s resignation is a “huge setback” to the ICI and only adds “further questions and doubts” regarding its capacity to hold erring powerful officials to account.
“The people’s patience with the Marcos administration is wearing thin. Our country deserves nothing less than the prosecution and the conviction of all those involved in this corruption scandal, the return of all stolen public funds, and the passage of reforms to protect our national budget,” Cendaña said.
