MANILA — The proposed Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption (ICAIC) is not a duplication of the Office of the Ombudsman, Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

“That’s not a correct view or opinion. It cannot be a duplication. In fact, it is very clear there is provision in the bill that says this bill does not, in any way, diminish, impair or encroach into the mandate of other investigative agencies like the Office of the Ombudsman, like the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council),” de Lima said.

She added that “once created upon the passage of House Bill No. 4453, ICAIC is going to focus only on supposed anomalous flood control projects.”

De Lima said the new commission will have a more focused mandate on infrastructure projects, unlike the Ombudsman whose jurisdiction covers all anti-graft cases, corruption cases, violations of laws, and the Code of Ethical Conduct of Public Officers and Employees.

“We know that the mandate of the Ombudsman is broad — all anti-graft cases, corruption cases, violation of all laws, special laws on graft and corruption, violations of the Code Ethical Conduct of Public Officers and Employees — all of that is covered by the Ombudsman, so we think that the Ombudsman really needs help from an independent commission,” she said.

The Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) will be subsumed under the new body, whether it is called the Independent People’s Commission (IPC) or ICAIC, depending on which version of the bill is adopted.

The commission will have five members and will be headed by a retired member of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, or Sandiganbayan. “So, it’s not just retired justices of the SC, because we realized that the pool of retired justices of the SC is very small. They are seniors,” de Lima said.

Under the House version, the ICAIC’s term will run until Dec. 31, 2028, unless extended. The Senate version proposes that the IPC last until June 30 or July 1, 2028, unless Congress extends its term. (PNA)