To say that Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando is losing trust and hope on the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is a huge understatement.

In a press conference Thursday, Oct. 16, the minority lawmaker agreed with assessments that ICI was both "toothless and useless". This, after controversial contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya declared it would no longer cooperate with the ICI in its inquiry on the flood control project controversy.

The Discayas did so without must consequence, since the commission doesn't have contempt powers.

"Yes, tama. Walang pangil, walang kapangyarihan yung ICI. Nagiging isang malaking PR na lang yan (Yes, that's correct. The ICI has no teeth, no power. It's becoming one big public relations stunt)," the outspoken San Fernando said.

The Discayas are key figures in the facilitation of alleged anomalous and "ghost" flood mitigation projects all over the country. They have also implicated various Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials and lawmakers in the modus operandi.

It was roughly a month ago that the ICI--based at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig--formally launched its investigation.

According to San Fernando, the affidavits gathered from various resource persons between the past congressional investigations and the ICI are already enough to build a case against the culprits.

"Hindi natin masisisi yung mga tao kung tinitignan yan, na parang nagwa-whitewash na lang, o parang may pinoproteksyunan na kaalyado ng administrasyon. Eh uulit ko, sa laki niyan, sa magnitude ng public resources involved, bakit wala pang nakukulong hanggang sa ngayon?" he asked.

(We can't blame people if they see it as whitewashing, or as if someone allied with the administration is being protected. And I repeat, given the scale of it, the magnitude of public resources involved, why has no one been jailed up to now?)

San Fernando further described the ICI as "inutil (useless)".

"Kung gusto talaga ng administrasyon na may mapanagot, even without the ICI, the President can mobilize the entire instrumentalities of the government--Ombudman, NBI (National Bureau of Investigation)--pakilusin niya," the minority congressman said.

(If the administration truly wants accountability, even without the ICI, the President can mobilize the entire machinery of government—the Ombudsman, the NBI—he can activate all of them.)

San Fernando says the commission's hearings--which remain closed to the public--are going nowhere. "Ang problema hanggang ngayon, ayan pa rin pahaba nang pahaba yung mga hearing, mas nalilito ang mga tao

(The problem is, up to now, the hearings just keep dragging on, and people are getting more and more confused.)

"Pahaba nang pahaba yung hearing, parami nang padprami yung mga cast of characters, and at the end of the day, walang mapapanagot. So baka kailangan hong mag-introspect amg Palasyo patungkol sa usapin na ito," he added.

(The hearings keep dragging on, the cast of characters keeps growing, and at the end of the day, no one is held accountable. So maybe the Palace needs to do some introspection on this matter.)