MANILA — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Monday expressed confidence that the newly appointed Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes Jr., is well-positioned to bring accountability to the country’s infrastructure sector.

Lacson cited Reyes’ integrity, which he witnessed during his time in the Supreme Court. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced Reyes’ appointment as ICI chairman earlier Monday.

“I had the chance of meeting him while he was still with the Supreme Court. He has integrity,” Lacson said.

The commission’s membership also includes former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson and former SGV managing partner Rossana Fajardo, with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong as special adviser.

“We are hopeful that they can help bring justice to a national ‘drowning’ in corruption, no thanks to the insatiably greedy government officials, mostly from the legislative and executive branches,” Lacson added.

Lacson welcomed the ICI’s expanded mandate to cover all infrastructure projects, not just flood control, and expressed hope that the Sumbong sa Pangulo website would similarly broaden its reporting scope.

He also noted that bills have been filed in both houses of Congress to institutionalize the ICI, granting it powers modeled after Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).