Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Elijah “Eli” San Fernando has placed a spotlight on the supposed failure of the Marcos administration--through the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)--in achieving accountability for the billions of pesos lost in anomalous flood control projects.

Speaking during a technical briefing of the House Committee on Government Reorganization on Monday, Nov. 3, San Fernando noted that it had been "53 days since the creation of [ICI]".

On top of this, the minority solon said “It has been 98 days since the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of our President when and where he said: ‘Mahiya naman kayo (Have some shame).’"

San Fernando was referring to the flood control projects corruption scandal, which President Marcos himself exposed in his annual speech.

But his decision to blow the lid off the massive scandal has sort of backfired on the Chief Executive, as public anger remains high amid the dearth of charges filed against those involved in flood control shenanigans.

To hammer home his point, San Fernando compared the lack of progress in the flood control probe with authorities' rather swift action agaist petty crimes. He says this betrays an "imbalance" in the country’s justice system.

“‘Pag nagnakaw ka ng gatas, sardinas, lata ng corned beef, ng diaper, huli ka agad. Samantala yung mga nasangkot dito sa flood control scandal, wherein we are talking about hundreds of billions of pesos, wala pa ni isa hanggang ngayon ang napapanagot,” he noted.

('If you steal milk, sardines, a can of corned beef, or a diaper, you get caught immediately. Meanwhile, those involved in the flood control scandal, wherein we’re talking about hundreds of billions of pesos, not a single one has been held accountable to this day.

Monday's technical briefing tackled the institutionalization of the "Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption"--basically an upgraded ICI--through legislation in the lower chamber.

San Fernando urged President Marcos Jr. to certify the measures--particularly House Bill (HB) No. 4453--as urgent, as he stressed that genuine anti-corruption efforts require action, not rhetoric.

After the hearing, the neophyte solon said the passage of the.bill was a litmus test for the administration’s sincerity in combating corruption.

“Transparency without power is just for show. The ICI needs teeth, independence, and accountability. Otherwise, it’s nothing more than an expensive smokescreen. Dito natin makikita kung totoo ba talaga ang Malacañang sa posisyon nito laban sa korapsyon (Here we will see whether or not Malacañang's position against corruption is true),” he concluded.