THE PHILIPPINE Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said the body investigating public works corruption lacks the subpoena powers to compel persons of interest to appear before it.
It also called for decisive action against corruption in infrastructure, warning that any cover-ups could damage business confidence.
“We feel that we need more, and we need decisive action and decisions. We don’t want cover-ups and railroading,” PCCI President Enunina V. Mangio said on the sidelines of the 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo on Monday.
“Our recommendation is that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. gives legal authority to ICI to really prosecute or to really find those that are really guilty,” she said.
“We really want those responsible to be punished and to be identified,” she added. “It was really very surprising to us that the corruption in flood control is of this magnitude.”
According to a joint statement released Sunday by 34 business groups, including the PCCI, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) needs to be granted full powers to investigate those responsible for the flood control corruption scandal.
In the joint statement, the groups called for prosecution of all those responsible, impartially and without regard to rank, position, political affiliation, or personal relationships. — Justine Irish D. Tabile