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EJ Macababbad - The Philippine Star
December 16, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Rogelio Singson will return to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is “close to my heart,” after his three-month stint with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) that ended yesterday.
“No more extensions. I won’t be here tomorrow as I have other places to go,” a visibly amused Singson told reporters.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed Singson’s impending return as part of a group of experts assessing future flood control projects.
At his solo press conference two weeks ago, Singson said he had always made himself available to help the agency, which he led from 2010 to 2016, in whatever capacity.
“Ever since, DPWH has been close to my heart,” Singson said.
“Any sitting official of DPWH, I’ve always been open to giving advice, especially so because, if you recall, when I was targeted to become secretary again, fortunately, we convinced Vince Dizon. So, in fairness to him, I want to help him as much as I can,” he added.
Singson reported for his ICI work for the last time, participating at dual hearings featuring AGAP Party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones and officials from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The former DPWH chief quietly notified the President of his resignation in mid-November but did not receive a reply. He had said he was leaving the ICI after experiencing health complications due to the stress of investigating thousands of anomalous projects.
Meanwhile, ICI commissioner Rossana Fajardo is still mum on rumors of her resignation.
Fajardo, the country managing partner at SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co., was entering the back portion of the ICI office yesterday when she was asked by GMA Integrated News if there was truth to rumors of her departure. The SGV official simply waved and smiled.
Reporters then asked confirmation from ICI chairman Andres Reyes Jr. who replied, “No comment for now.”
Former ICI special adviser and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong insinuated last week that Fajardo might be headed for the exit. If ever, she would be the third official to leave the three-month-old commission, created by President Marcos to investigate anomalies in infrastructure projects in the past 10 years.
Lawmaker’s denial
Also yesterday, Briones’ legal counsel Winston Ginez asserted that his client had no hand in the flood control mess. Briones was the last lawmaker to face the ICI for this year.
“He has no flood control projects,” Ginez told reporters in a chance interview.
Briones was one of 17 lawmakers implicated by contractor-couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya in September in the flood control scandal, particularly for receiving “percentages” from flood control projects.
The lawmaker became infamous in July after getting caught watching a video of online cockfighting during the speakership election.
Ginez said his client voluntarily appeared before the ICI and will submit an affidavit of denial.
Briones’ camp requested an executive session, which the commission quickly approved.
“We requested an executive session in order to protect the confidential and highly sensitive information that he had divulged before the commission,” Ginez said.
“Briones took this opportunity to clear his name and to deny all the unfair and unfounded allegations against him by the Discayas,” he added.
A total of 14 lawmakers have testified before the ICI, either by invitation or on their own volition. Some, like Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, met with the commissioners to ask them to investigate his colleague.
Only the appearance of Laguna 4th District Rep. Benjamin Agarao Jr. had been livestreamed in its entirety.
Also discussed before the ICI yesterday was the budget process, with DBM acting Secretary Rolando Toledo explaining that the department basically has no control over the national budget once it is transmitted to Congress for deliberations.
Toledo faced the fact-finding body for the first time to provide insights on the crafting of the national budget.
Budget officials explained in length that the agency only gets its hand on the budget once the enrolled bill is sent by the bicameral conference committee to Malacañang for the President’s signature.
“We have to take a look at that enrolled bill just to look at the differences of the National Expenditure Program and the General Appropriations Act so that we will know how to respond if there are any changes,” Toledo said at the livestreamed hearing. The DBM said it respects Congress’ role over the power of the purse.
“In terms of the preparation, we are supposed to be on top of it, but in terms of legislation, we are just reactive,” the acting secretary said, adding, “We, of course, depend on the wisdom of the legislators.”
Congress’ tight control of the budget process is evident in the fact that neither the DBM nor the ICI has a copy of the minutes of the meeting of previous budget deliberations, particularly the bicameral conference committee, where many of the insertions were supposedly made.
Singson told the DBM that it should do its best to protect the National Expenditure Program (NEP) from being altered with insertions from lawmakers.
“You have to recognize that each congressional district has its own local infrastructure projects that they want implemented, which the agencies do not know,” he said, recalling his time as public works chief.
“We allowed them a fixed amount and a menu of projects to choose from. With that, don’t touch my NEP. If you touch my NEP, I will not give you a single centavo of local infrastructure projects,” Singson stressed.
“I think you may want to revert to that to recognize that you have to give certain leeway to members of Congress for local projects that the agencies have not identified,” he added. — Delon Porcalla
