ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Independent commission to help country 'move forward', says Romualdez

Independent commission to help country 'move forward', says Romualdez

Published Sep 11, 2025 07:18 pm

At A Glance

  • House Speaker Martin Romualdez says that Malacañang's creation of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) will help the country "move forward with clarity and renewed trust".
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left), House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Facebook, PPAB)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left), House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Facebook, PPAB)


House Speaker Martin Romualdez says that Malacañang's creation of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) will help the country "move forward with clarity and renewed trust".
In a statement Thursday night, Sept. 11, Romualdez said the ICI--established through Executive Order (EO) No.94--shows the government’s "shared resolve to confront irregularities and strengthen public trust in government projects".
"I understand the concerns raised about alleged irregularities in flood control programs. These reports have caused pain and frustration among our people, and it is right that they be investigated thoroughly," said the Leyte 1st district representative and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president.
"The House of Representatives will extend its full cooperation to the ICI so that truth can prevail, accountability can be pursued, and reforms can be put in place," said Romualdez.
"The commission’s work will help separate fact from speculation, and this will allow both government and the public to move forward with clarity and renewed trust," added the Speaker.
Moreovee, he has assured Filipinos that the House "will never be a sanctuary for corruption" in case the ICI finds that some members of the House conspired with public works officials in anomalous projects.
Romualdez say the process is not about casting blame, but about ensuring fairness. Due process, he said, will protect the innocent as much as it will hold the guilty to account.
"Hustisya ang hangad ng taumbayan, hindi palusot. Kaya’t kailangan natin ng isang independent, patas at masusing imbestigasyon. ‘Yung walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan, at tanging katotohanan lamang ang isinusulong," he said.
(What the people seek is justice, not excuses. That’s why we need an independent, fair, and thorough investigation—one that shows no bias, protects no one, and pursues only the truth.)
"Mahalaga dito ang pananagutan. Managot ang dapat managot. Higit sa lahat, dapat manatili ang tiwala ng tao sa kanilang pamahalaan. Ang isyu dito: transparency at accountability," added the House leader.
(Accountability is crucial here. Those who must be held accountable should face the consequences. Above all, the public’s trust in their government must be preserved. The issue at hand: transparency and accountability.)
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.