(UPDATE) ROSSANA Fajardo on Friday announced that she has resigned as commissioner of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), saying she has “completed” her work. Fajardo becomes the third member of the commission to quit since it was formed in September. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has stepped down as special adviser, followed by commissioner Rogelio Singson. In a statement, Fajardo said her resignation takes effect on Dec. 31. “Since my appointment in September 2025, I have been committed to advancing the Commission’s objectives, particularly in the areas of financial oversight and infrastructure project investigations,” Fajardo said. She said that during her tenure, she has developed comprehensive approaches for evidence gathering, prepared detailed work plans, and supervised volunteer efforts in investigations. “My contributions have led to recommendations aimed at improving government procurement and budgeting processes related to infrastructure projects,” she said. “I have completed the work I set out to accomplish when I was appointed, ensuring that the foundational goals of the Commission have been met,” she said. Fajardo said she believes a permanent commission with enhanced powers will be more effective in supporting the Ombudsman file cases involving anomalous government infrastructure projects. Fajardo, Singson and Andres Reyes Jr. were handpicked by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to lead the ICC. Reyes, the ICI chairman, said Fajardo’s resignation “comes at a natural point in the commission’s work.” He said the ICI was created with a clear, time-bound mandate: to gather evidence, establish facts, and propose corrective measures. Reyes assured that the ICI “remains fully committed to submitting all its final recommendations and ensuring that the appropriate institutions — particularly the Ombudsman — have everything they need to bring these cases forward.” Reyes said the ICI filed eight referrals and cases with the Office of the Ombudsman, not including its joint referrals with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The filings covered close to 100 individuals, including senators, congressmen, top-and mid-level former and current officials of the DPWH, contractors, and even a sitting commissioner of the Commission on Audit (COA). Reyes said the Ombudsman has filed three cases in various courts, resulting in the arrest of 16 individuals, including public works contractor Sarah Discaya, for non-bailable crimes. The ICI has also begun efforts to recover billions of pesos through partnerships with the Anti- Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and other agencies of government, he said. More than P20.3 billion in assets have been frozen, including 6,538 bank accounts, 367 insurance policies, 255 motor vehicles, 178 real properties, 16 e-wallet accounts, three securities accounts, and 11 air assets such as planes and helicopters. Reyes said several recommendations have been made to reform the system and ensure that these infrastructure irregularities do not happen again. The recommendations include the automatic furnishing to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) of all DPWH contracts and transactions exceeding P30 million, and the opening of the national budget process to full public scrutiny, especially in bicameral conference committees. Marcos directed the creation of a three-member independent panel that will probe anomalies in infrastructure projects. The ICC has subpoena powers and could compel entities to produce contracts, bank documents, and other information for the probe. It, however, cannot file cases on its own, referring instead its findings to the Office of the Ombudsman. Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday downplayed concerns that the ICI has become ineffective following the resignation Fajardo. Sotto made the statement amid growing skepticism among members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives following Fajardo’s resignation. Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima said the resignation of Fajardo meant the end of the ICI. De Lima added that the commission was already “doomed to fail” when it was given the formidable task of fighting corruption with limited powers and resources and an administration that is reluctant to swiftly provide support through urgent legislation and much needed budget. Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, considered the ICI as “effectively dead” after the resignation of Fajardo. “There is definitely something wrong when three of the most credible members of the commission — Magalong, Singson, and now Fajardo — have all resigned. What happens now to what may be the greatest heist in government infrastructure and the national budget?” Erice said. The Makabayan bloc, composed of ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co, and Gabriela Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago, said the ICI is now a “lost cause.” “Its members have resigned, it has no real transparency, and its credibility is always in question. It was created to make it appear Marcos was serious about investigating corruption,” Makabayan said. Sotto, disagreed, saying he thinks “ICI and the other investigations being or having been conducted have given ample findings for the DoJ (Department of Justice) and the Ombudsman to continue with their work and pursue cases against the guilty ones.” “Their role is to establish facts. Once these are on record, it is already up to the DoJ and the Ombudsman to file cases and see them through,” he said. The August Twenty One Movement (ATOM) on Friday said that justice remained elusive after the promise to jail “big fish” politicians linked to controversial flood control projects was broken. In a statement, the group said the country had just been scammed by the government. “Malacañang previously assured the nation that those responsible for the flood control corruption scandal would be held to account by Christmas. That deadline has now come and gone with no arrests of powerful figures and no big political leader behind bars. The government’s actions remain in the realm of referrals and recommendations, not prosecutions. This is not accountability. This is performance,” ATOM said. It said the ICI was created to investigate flood control anomalies and recommend cases to the DoJ and Ombudsman, “but it only has the power to recommend, not to indict or convict.” “Let us be clear. This is no longer about timing or technicalities. It is about choice. A choice to protect the powerful. A choice to let Christmas pass quietly while accountability is deferred indefinitely. A choice to hope the public will be distracted by lights, food, and forced cheer,” ATOM said. The group’s president, Volt Bohol said the actions of the Marcos administration were “reactive and superficial”.