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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider 20 business groups press Marcos to certify anti-corruption bills 'urgent'

20 business groups press Marcos to certify anti-corruption bills 'urgent'

Published Dec 10, 2025 02:46 pm
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (Mark Balmores)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (Mark Balmores)
A total of 20 business groups called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent several legislative measures that aim to expand the functions of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) by granting the anti-corruption body full investigative and prosecutorial powers.
“Our country urgently needs a far more empowered, broad-based, and truly independent anti-corruption body—one that is equipped with the mandate and authority that the current ICI does not possess,” the business groups said in a joint statement on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
During a Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Marcos directed lawmakers to “prioritize” the immediate passage of four proposed measures, including the proposed Independent People’s Commission (IPC) bill.
Marcos, however, stopped short of certifying the measures as urgent.
In a social media post, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said labeling these measures as “priority” would not lead to swift passage, unlike if they were certified as urgent.
As established under Executive Order (EO) No. 94, ICI was created to investigate irregularities in government flood-control and infrastructure projects amid the ongoing corruption scandal that has ignited public outrage.
ICI is tasked to recommend the filing of appropriate criminal, civil, or administrative cases, as well as potential seizure of assets or the issuance of hold-departure orders.
Without the power to “act decisively on its own,” business groups said ICI only functions in an advisory capacity, contrary to its supposed mandate of curbing corruption.
Pending measures in both the Senate and the House of Representatives could finally grant ICI the much-needed full legal authority to conduct proper investigations.
In the Senate, there is a proposal to establish IPC, essentially a more powerful version of ICI. A counterpart bill to create the Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) is also being pushed in the House of Representatives.
“The proposed IPC or ICAIC will have full investigative and prosecutorial powers,” business groups noted.
The groups said an anti-corruption body with these powers will pave the way for comprehensive investigations into corruption, ensuring that involved public officials, employees, or private-sector partners are held accountable.
“A fully empowered IPC or ICAIC will strengthen the capacity of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue corruption cases more effectively and restore credibility to the pursuit of integrity in public service,” they said.
They added that a truly independent anti-corruption body would also ensure that there is no cover-up, no sacred cow, and no political maneuvering.
“It will safeguard the people’s money and help rebuild the people’s trust that is essential to a healthy democracy,” their statement read.
The 20 business groups are urging both the Senate and the House of Representatives to “act without delay” in approving the legislative measures.
“At a time when blatant and widespread misuse of public funds has eroded confidence in our institutions, our nation is confronting a profound crisis of public trust,” they said. “The Filipino people deserve nothing less than the full truth.”
The statement was issued by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Makati Business Club (MBC), Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII), Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), Cebu Business Club (CBC), Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Cebu Leads Foundation (CLF), and Connected Women.
Also signing the statement were Fintech Alliance Philippines, Filipina CEO Circle (FCC), Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), NextGen Organization of Women Corporate Directors (NOWCD), People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), Philippine Association of Securities Brokers and Dealers Inc. (PASBDI), Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PHILWEN), Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines (SHAREPHIL), and University of the Philippines School of Economics Alumni Association (UPSEAA).
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