ICI CLEARS CHIZ FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has cleared Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero and former Senators Grace Poe and Nancy Binay of any liability in connection with the flood control mess after it found no sufficient evidence to warrant the filing of case.
The ICI the other day has recommended the filing of charges against several individuals, including incumbent and former government officials, to the Office of the Ombudsman for their role in the multi-billion-peso non-existent and sub-standard infrastructure projects, mostly ghost flood control projects.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes, chair of the ICI, said the recommendations were based on face-to-face interviews with and testimonies of senators, members of the House of Representatives, whistleblowers, contractors, and government officials, as well as affidavits and documents gathered the panel tasked to probe the flood control mess.
The ICI did not find any guilt or liability on the part of Escudero, Poe, and Binay to recommend the filing of charges against them because of insufficient evidence to support the claims of former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo linking them to the flood control controversies.
Bernardo did not offer any direct or material evidence to back up his allegations when he appeared before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, leading the ICI to sidestep the filing of cases against the three unlike other former and incumbent officials who have been recommended to be charged.
Reyes has emphasized that the ICI needs witnesses who can attest to the direct involvement of the accused in wrongdoing, including receiving of commissions or kickbacks from the flood control projects.
“We need witnesses. Mga driver, mga katulong, kusinera, butler, secretary, accountant. We need more witnesses,” Reyes said.
Among the personalities recommended by the ICI for the filing of possible cases of plunder, direct and indirect bribery, and corruption of public officials are former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., former party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, former Public Works Undersecretaries Maria Catalina Cabral and Roberto Bernardo, and Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana.
Escudero said the ICI’s recommendations were “based on evidence, weighed for their merit and the witnesses’ claims judged based on their credibility.”
“In my close to three decades in public service, there has never been any allegation of wrongdoing against me. We have always adhered to our laws in everything that we do and will continue to serve with integrity and accountability. We respect all the legal processes and will continue to cooperate with the ongoing probes in order to uncover the truth and hold to account all who were involved, based on evidence,” Escudero said.
In a separate statement, Poe said the action of the ICI proves that there is no evidence to support the filing of charges against her.
“This is no surprise to me and to the people who know me because I [have] always conducted myself with utmost integrity,” Poe said.
According to Binay, now the sitting Mayor of Makati City, the allegations against her were all part of the attempt to divert attention away from the people actually behind the flood control anomalies.