MANILA – Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is pushing for the swift passage of Senate Bill No. 1215, which seeks to establish the Independent People’s Commission (IPC) to investigate corruption in all government infrastructure projects.

In a recent radio interview, Pangilinan said public demand calls for a stronger fact-finding body that can thoroughly investigate alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects.

“Kailangan natin bilisan,” he said. “Ang taong bayan nakakalungkot ang kanilang obserbasyon na wala naman nakukulong diyan, hanggang hearing lang yan, pero yung malalaking tao exempted sa criminal liability o kaya abswelto.”

As chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Pangilinan will sponsor the measure and has urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to certify the bill as urgent to enable Congress to act on it swiftly.

“Kung ma-certify ng Pangulo as urgent, mas lalo magagawa ito. Kinakailangan din natin habulin ang national budget debates sa Senate,” he noted.

“Pag nag umpisa na ang debate sa Senado sa budget, wala na ibang tinatalakay. Kinakailangan natin tiyakin na we will—as best as we can—pass this measure. And we hope susuportahan ng lahat ng senador itong measure na ito,” he added.

Pangilinan also plans to include funding for the IPC in the proposed 2026 national budget.

The bill, authored by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senators Erwin Tulfo and Risa Hontiveros, proposes the creation of a non-partisan commission with powers to issue contempt, subpoena, and freeze orders to strengthen its investigative capacity.

The IPC will cover all types of national and local infrastructure projects, including those in education, agriculture, flood control, and disaster resilience. Under the bill, investigations must be completed within 60 days, with the final report made public within 30 days after completion.

Currently, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)—created through an executive order by President Marcos—is handling the ongoing probe into corruption in infrastructure projects nationwide.

However, the ICI has faced criticism for lacking contempt powers, despite being authorized to issue subpoenas.