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Chair to be named in the coming days; Magalong to serve as adviser
MANILA, Philippines — A former public works chief and a top executive of a leading professional services firm have been named members of the panel formed by President Marcos to probe anomalies in flood control projects, while a mayor who has vowed to expose alleged corrupt activities of some lawmakers will serve as its special adviser.
Rogelio Singson, who served as public works chief during the Aquino administration, and Rossana Fajardo, SGV & Co. country managing partner, will be part of the three-person Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro announced yesterday.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who recently claimed that at least 67 legislators were using contractors as “fronts” for flood control projects, has been named special adviser and investigator for the commission.
Marcos is expected to announce the chairman of the independent body within the week.
“The President has appointed individuals of proven competence, integrity and deep familiarity with infrastructure, finance and institutional reform,” Castro said at a press briefing at Malacañang.
“They voluntarily accepted the task. They were not appointed to protect the system, but to face it. Each one has a long experience in identifying problems inside institutions and in implementing reforms in huge organizations,” she added.
Castro vouched for the independence of the panel members, saying none of them is connected to any agency or contractor being investigated.
The ICI, created through Executive Order No. 94, covers flood control and other infrastructure projects undertaken in the last 10 years. The commission’s powers and functions include gathering and assessing evidence and reports against government officials and personnel tagged in irregularities, conducting hearings, taking testimonies and recommending the freezing or seizure of assets reasonably believed to be tied to anomalous projects.
Castro declined to provide a timeline for the investigation, saying the ICI should be given the opportunity to study all documents for the possible filing of cases.
“The timeline here is prompt and speedy execution. It would be better if it is finished within a few months,” she said.
Experts tapped
According to Castro, Singson would bring with him decades of direct experience in planning and executing major government infrastructure projects.
As secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), he led one of the most significant reform efforts in the agency’s history – introducing systems to promote transparency, eliminate ghost projects and ensure proper use of public funds, the Palace press officer said.
“His technical understanding of how projects are designed, procured and implemented will be essential to this commission’s work.”
She also noted Singson’s stint as chief of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, where he managed large-scale land infrastructure development.
Fajardo, meanwhile, is a certified public accountant with over three decades of experience in auditing, internet controls and risk management, including identifying weaknesses in financial systems and operational processes. The country manager of the Philippines’ largest professional services firm has worked across both public and private sectors to help organizations find fraud, enhance governance and build more accountable institutions.
Based on her LinkedIn account, Fajardo has held several key leadership positions within SGV and EY ASEAN Business, including SGV Consulting Leader, Philippine IT Risk and Assurance Leader, Philippine Performance Improvement Leader, EY ASEAN Regional Advisory Quality Leader, EY ASEAN Advisory Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Asia-Pacific Advisory Leadership Team.
She completed the Executive MBA Program at the Asian Institute of Management, the Ernst & Young Kellogg Account Leadership Program at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and the Strategic Account Management Program at the London Business School. She graduated cum laude with a degree in Accounting from the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod.
“Her technical insight and financial acumen are critical in following the trail of public funds and determining where leakages and irregularities may have occurred,” Castro said.
As for Magalong, Castro said the mayor applied strict standards of transparency and accountability in local governance. The mayor was a career law enforcement officer who had led the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
“His experience in leading difficult investigations, uncovering internal wrongdoing and enforcing compliance makes him a strong asset to this commission,” Castro said.
In a recent interview, Marcos said there would be no politicians in the flood control projects commission to ensure its independence. Asked about Magalong’s involvement in the ICI, Castro clarified that the mayor is not a member of the panel, but will act as a special adviser. Magalong may transmit whatever information he will gather to the ICI, she added.
No sacred cows
Sought for comment on Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s linking of former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan to a contractor from Bulacan, Castro reiterated that no one would be spared from the investigation on the flood control projects controversy.
“(The President) is already aware of it because it has been reported by (DPWH) Sec. Vince Dizon. As we said earlier, no friends, no allies, no relatives. Everyone who should be investigated will be investigated,” Castro said.
Lacson had linked Bonoan to Candaba, Pampanga Mayor Rene Maglanque, whose Globalcrete Builders allegedly bagged more than P2 billion worth of flood control projects from 2018 to 2024.
The senator had also alleged that Maglanque jointly owns MBB Global Properties Corp., with the family of Bonoan.
“Like what the President repeatedly said, no one will be spared, not even relatives, friends or allies. There will be no sacred cows,” Castro said.
Asked to react to the indignation rallies scheduled for Sept. 21, Castro said public sentiments against corruption should not be exploited by those who seek to destabilize the government.
“First of all, the President will always respect this freedom of expression. So whatever sentiment felt by our countrymen right now is respected by the President. Our prayer is that these sentiments will not be exploited by people with ill intentions for the government and those who seek to destabilize,” she said. “The President supports the expression of concerns by our countrymen because it is against corruption.”
The Church Leaders Council for National Transformation will hold a “Trillion Peso March” on Sept. 21 at EDSA to condemn what it described as “blatant” corruption destroying flood control projects. The rally will coincide with the commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by the President’s late father and namesake.
Reacting to the designation of ICI members, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said he is wary of the appointment of Magalong as adviser to the probe body.
“We respect the decision of the President to appoint Baguio city Mayor Benjamin Magalong as special adviser to the ICI. Nonetheless, the ICI should take note of Mayor Magalong’s previous public statements on alleged infrastructure and flood control corruption, and determine whether his participation in certain cases may warrant inhibition to avoid any appearance of prejudgment,” Ridon, co-chairman of the infra-committee of the House of Representatives, said yesterday. He did not elaborate.
“We have confidence in their competence and integrity to carry out the crucial task of investigating corruption in infrastructure and flood control projects, introducing meaningful reforms in public works and ensuring that perpetrators of corruption are held accountable,” Ridon said. — Jose Rodel Clapano
