Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong Resigns from ICI amid Flood Control Mess in PH
BENJAMIN MAGALOG – The Baguio City Mayor gave a message for the Filipinos over corruption following his resignation as special adviser of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Amid the flood control issue in the Philippines, President Bongbong Marcos ordered the creation of an independent commission to investigate the infrastructure projects of the government. His order came after the discovery of several ‘ghost’ and substandard flood control projects that cost the government coffers billions of money.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the independent probe team created under the order of Marcos Jr., is armed with broad powers including the power to move for the seizure of assets linked to anomalies as well as the issuance of subpoena. The ICI is composed of three (3) members with the appointment of Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong as a special adviser of the team.
Magalong is one of the government officials who are vocal over the corruption issues in the Philippines. Following the creation of the ICI, newly-elected House Speaker Bojie Dy said that the flood control probe is best left under the independent commission.
However, with just the ICI starting to investigate the flood control issue, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong resigned from being the special adviser of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. He penned a resignation letter to Pres. Bongbong Marcos.
“Let it be stated that I have not neglected, nor I will ever neglect, my primary responsibility to the people of Baguio, whose welfare and interests remain at the core of my public service,” the Mayor said.
Recently, following his resignation as ICI special adviser, Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong issued a message for the Filipino people amid the fight against corruption. Based on a post of DZBB Super Radyo, the Mayor stressed that it will be a long fight that the people must be prepared of.
According to Magalong, change will not happen overnight but he is confident that the Filipinos’ courage and resilience matches the forces of corruption which he described as “deeply entrenched”. Based on the post, in his statement, the Mayor stated that “the power of the people will always be stronger than the power of the few. The crusade against corruption continues”.
Amid the flood control mess in the Philippines, presidential cousin and Leyte Congressman Martin Romualdez and some allies of the administration are accused of corruption. Recently, Malacañang claimed that Marcos Jr. will not intervene in the flood control probe.