Forty-four days since its creation, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has taken its first decisive swing against the rot that has long corroded our public works system. In recommending bribery and plunder charges against six high-profile figures—Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, former Representatives Zaldy Co and Mitch Cajayon-Uy, Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana, and former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo—the ICI has drawn a bold line in the sand. This is a potential turning point in how our country confronts corruption that keeps bleeding public funds and eroding trust in government.

But even as we applaud the ICI’s first strike, we must also sound the alarm: Time is not the ally of justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. The powerful and the guilty have the means to flee, to hide, and to bury evidence. The ICI, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and law enforcement agencies must act with urgency, precision, and resolve. Delays will only embolden the corrupt, giving them time to move their assets offshore and vanish from the reach of the law. Swift action now is not a violation of due process. In fact, it helps in upholding and preserving it.

To move swiftly while still observing fairness, the ICI must establish airtight coordination with the Office of the Ombudsman, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and the Bureau of Immigration. Filing of charges in court must be expedited so hold-departure orders can be issued immediately against the accused. The Immigration Lookout Bulletin Orders that have been issued against some of those implicated in the flood control scandal are toothless. It cannot hold anyone from leaving the country. Financial investigations must also be prioritized to trace the flow of public funds and prevent their dissipation. Asset-freezing mechanisms should be triggered as soon as credible links are established between individuals and questionable transactions. While some assets have already been frozen, there are more out there. But bear in mind that speed must not mean sloppiness. Every move must be legally sound, every piece of evidence carefully secured to withstand scrutiny in court.

At the same time, the rights of both accused and witnesses must remain sacrosanct. Justice cannot be built on shortcuts. The ICI should establish clear witness protection protocols, ensuring that whistleblowers and cooperating witnesses are shielded from intimidation or reprisal. Transparency, not theatrics, must define this process. The public deserves regular, factual briefings on progress—not rumors, not political spin.

The private sector, too, must step forward. Construction companies, suppliers, auditors, and banks all hold pieces of this puzzle. Those who have nothing to hide should open their records to investigators. Industry associations can adopt and enforce stronger internal compliance systems, while civic-minded businesses can fund independent monitoring mechanisms for major infrastructure projects. Corruption, enormous as it is, thrives in darkness; integrity flourishes when everyone turns on the light.

And what of the ordinary Filipino? Our role is neither small nor symbolic. We must demand accountability not only in this case but in every public transaction done in our name. We must resist apathy, support institutions of justice, and reject the culture of “palusot” (alibi or pretence) that normalizes theft of public funds. Vigilance is the price of democracy.

The ICI’s first step is historic, but only if it leads to the next. The corrupt are counting on time, politics, and public fatigue to save them. Let us prove them wrong. Let this be the moment when the Philippines, tired of being robbed and ridiculed, finally strikes while the iron is hot. And it must keep striking until justice is rendered.