Ex-SC justice Reyes leads flood control probe body

Metro Manila, Philippines - A former Supreme Court associate justice will lead an independent commission that will investigate the flood control scandal, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a news briefing on Monday, Sept. 15.

The appointment of Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr. completes the three-member Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), whose scope extends to flood control and related projects in the last 10 years.

Malacanang earlier named the other two as former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and SGV & Co. country managing partner Rossana Fajardo.

“Essentially, what we needed was somebody like Justice Andie Reyes because he is a former justice and he will know how to conduct those hearings so that they are legally correct, procedurally correct,” Marcos told reporters.

Reyes was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2017 and retired in May 2020. He was a former presiding judge of the Court of Appeals as well.

Marcos said he was “very encouraged” when he talked with Reyes and the other members of the ICI.

“All of them are in agreement that we have to move very quickly and we have to get something done as quickly as possible,” he said.

“Hindi pwedeng mapanis lahat ng information na binigay ng taumbayan sa ‘Sumbong sa Pangulo,’” he added.

[Translation: All information submitted in the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website should not go to waste.]

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong is the ICI special adviser and investigator. Marcos said Magalong will function in a concurrent capacity as local chief executive.

“As CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) head, he was the one who wrote the seminal report on the Mamasapano incident… that’s when I came to know of him and saw that he has integrity,” Marcos said. The president previously said no politician will take part in the commission.

“When I came to Baguio, being a good investigator, he had a very, very detailed, very good report already,” the president said, referring to the time he inspected flood control projects in Baguio.

Independence

The ICI would hold its first organization meeting on Monday as well. Marcos said the commission pledged to hold daily meetings.

The president said “great pains” have been taken so that the body’s independence will be respected, recognized, and observed, noting that it would be different from congressional investigations.

Asked whether the probe will spare no one, including allies, Marcos replied: “There’s only one way to do it, isn’t there? They will not be spared.”

The ICI will have broad powers to include issuing subpoena to testify and obtain documents, recommend persons to be placed under the Witness Protection Program, recommend to the Justice Department the admission of a person as state witness, and recommend a hold departure order or other remedies to monitor or prohibit the travel abroad, or to compel the return from abroad, of any public official or employee, or any other individual, under investigation.

Its findings will be forwarded to appropriate agencies as it recommends criminal, civil, and administrative charges.

Marcos said the commission can also suggest or propose improvements in bidding procedures and how to fix the system.