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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Singson says he's in and out of hospital since ICI probe began

Singson says he's in and out of hospital since ICI probe began

Published Dec 4, 2025 01:05 pm

At A Glance

  • Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) outgoing commissioner Babes Singson bared that he had been in and out of the hospital since becoming part of the body last September.
Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) outgoing commissioner Babes Singson bared that he had been in and out of the hospital since becoming part of the body last September.
He attributed this to the stressful work that comes with the process of investigating the anomalous flood control projects in the country. 
"Because of the stress, my 77-year-old body cannot take it anymore," he told reporters on Thursday, Dec. 4, after confirming that he was stepping down from his role.
Singson said it was the first time in his life that he was asked to take maintenance medication for his heart as well as for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high creatinine.
He said tongue-in-cheek that everything was now a "red flag".
Singson said as an engineer by profession, he had to study the legal aspects related to the flood control projects so that he could easily navigate the process in investigating the anomaly.
This forced him to work overtime on top of appearing daily at the ICI headquarters in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig.
"So please try to understand that it's not that I don't want to serve. It is just that my body and also the stress on my family were not used to this kind of heavy stress, including heavy security for the family's safety," he said.
"So I hope and I wish that people will understand the reason for my resignation. I feel that I've done what I have to do for ICI, but I have to also answer to the needs of my family, family concerns and my own personal life," he added.
Singson also said he could no longer move comfortably in public without being recognized.
"I want to get back my privacy," he said.
No political pressure
Singson clarified that there was no political pressure behind his decision to resign.
He also said he has not personally talked to President Marcos--who appointed him to be part of the commission--about his resignation. However, he has already submitted his resignation to the Office of the President (OP).
He said if he were to recommend a replacement, he said, it "has to be a former justice, Supreme Court (SC) or any other courts".
"Definitely, [it] has to be a lawyer with a lot of experience, especially in prosecution," he added.
Meanwhile, Singson said it would be unfair to say that ICI would be different following his departure amid several lawmakers expressing their "sadness" over his move.
"I don't think that's a unfair statement. It's a commission's work, I'm just one of three members," he said.
Singson stressed that the burden of solving the problem stemming from anomalous flood control projects "cannot rely solely on the ICI".
"We need the strong support from [OP]. We need strong support from both houses of Congress," he said.
"Otherwise, on its own, without the necessary powers, unfortunately, it will not move as fast as we want to," he added.
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