Rogelio Singson resigns as ICI commissioner

Rogelio "Babes" Singson has stepped down as a member of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, which is tasked to look into irregularities in flood control projects.

ICI chairperson Andres Reyes announced Singson’s resignation to the media on Wednesday, Dec. 3, saying it will be effective Dec. 15, but could be extended to the 21st.

“He mentioned the very intense and stressful ICI work taking its toll on his aging body,” Reyes said.

Singson was the former secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways. He worked as the head of the DPWH during the late President Noynoy Aquino's administration from 2010 to 2016, where he oversaw the implementation of major government infrastructure projects nationwide. He also led the Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Program at the time.

Malacañang named Singson as one of the members of the ICI on Sept. 13.

As Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced Singson's appointment as ICI commissioner, she pointed out that 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." She added, "His technical understanding of how projects are designed, procured, and implemented will be essential to this commission’s work."

The ICI is tasked to recommend the filing of appropriate charges and recommend to the appropriate government bodies the enforcement of remedies, corrective actions, or legislative measures. It was formed amid the flood control scandal after hearings at the Senate and the House of Representatives revealed billions of pesos lost to corruption.

The fact-finding body gets assistance from the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation, the National Prosecution Service, the DPWH, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, and offices in the national government's executive branch "to accomplish its mandates."