Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong quit his post as a special adviser of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday, the same day Malacañang said his appointment is under review due to possible conflict of interest.

His resignation was “not an easy choice, but one I believe is necessary,” Magalong said in a statement on Saturday. It was only two weeks ago that he was appointed to the commission tasked to look into the anomalies in the government’s multibillion-peso flood control and other infrastructure projects.

“The Palace’s pronouncements concerning my designation, which run contrary to the terms of my appointment, have undermined the role and mandate entrusted to me,” Magalong told President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a resignation letter dated Sept. 26.

He added: “Combined with circumstances that already cast doubt on the independence of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, it has become clear that my continued service is no longer tenable.”

Magalong’s possible conflict of interest is linked to a ₱110-million project awarded in 2022 to St. Gerrard Construction Company involving the construction of a tennis court and a parking building in Baguio.

St. Gerrard is one of the nine companies owned by Curlee and Sarah Discaya, who are under investigation for anomalies in the flood control projects they had contracted.

The President, according to Palace press officer Claire Castro, said the case would be “referred to the legal team to determine where [Magalong] may be included, or where he should be properly inserted, so that the independence of the ICI will not be compromised and there will be no violation of any law.”

‘Right thing to do’

Sonny Matula, chair of the Nagkaisa labor coalition and president of the Federation of Free Workers, welcomed Magalong’s move. 

Matula cited Section 7, Article IX-B of the 1987 Constitution, which “prohibits elective officials from being appointed or designated to any public office during their tenure—except when expressly allowed by law or when required by the primary functions of their position.”

“We welcome the resignation of Mayor Magalong. It is the right thing to do,” the labor leader said in a statement on Saturday. “It is also good for the ICI, as it removes the perception that the investigation is only a ‘part-time pursuit.’” 

Matula had earlier called out Magalong for his dual role as city mayor and special adviser to the ICI. “To insist on wearing two hats—as mayor and as investigator—risks making the probe look like a half-hearted initiative, good in form but weak in substance,” he had said.

But Magalong, who had earlier said some lawmakers were receiving kickbacks from the budget intended for flood control projects, said there was no conflict of interest in his role as mayor and as adviser to the commission.  

“My work as mayor of Baguio and my service with the ICI have always been guided by one principle: the highest standards of integrity in public service,” he said on Saturday.

However, recent developments “have cast doubt” on the independence of the ICI, he said, adding that “independence is the bedrock of accountability, and without it, our credibility is compromised.”

“I refuse to allow these doubts to weaken the ICI and its mandate,” he said without elaborating. “That is why I have chosen to step aside, not to abandon the fight, but to protect the very integrity of the fight.” 

Continuing commitment

According to Magalong, his “commitment to truth and justice remains steadfast, whether within or outside the ICI.”

The mayor has been joining Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon in inspecting flood control projects in various parts of the country.

“I will continue this crusade against corruption with the same resolve I have carried in every battle I have faced: from Mamasapano, to the Ninja Cops probe, to standing up against traditional politics, and now to exacting accountability from those who plunder public funds,” he said.

Magalong, who was once chief of the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, led the police inquiry into the botched January 2015 operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, in which 44 Special Action Forces commandos were killed. He led as well the investigation of the “ninja cops,” or policemen who sell narcotics seized in antidrug operations. 

Despite his resignation from the ICI, Magalong said his crusade against corruption would continue. He urged Filipinos not to allow “corrupt political leaders and bureaucrats to steal the future of our children, and most importantly, the future of our country.”

“Every peso stolen from the people is not just an act of theft,” he said. “It is a school left unfinished, a hospital without medicine, a bridge that collapses, and a nation’s hopes betrayed. The greatest injustice is that corruption robs the people of their safety and their future.”

He called for Filipinos’ continued vigilance, courage, and sense of nationalism, and urged them to prepare for “a long fight” and “the long game.” 

“The forces of corruption are deeply entrenched, but so, too, is the Filipino spirit of resilience and courage,” he said, adding:

“Change will not happen overnight. As long as we remain vigilant, as long as we continue to resist, and as long as we keep faith in our country, then we will prevail. The power of the people will always be stronger than the power of the few.”

It is unclear if Mr. Marcos will appoint a replacement for Magalong. 

In a message to reporters on Saturday, Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said Magalong’s resignation was “unfortunate” but that “the demand of the Filipino people from the Independent Commission on Infrastructure is higher than any one person.”