Photo Courtesy: PCO
The so-called Independent Council of Inquiry (ICI) is turning out to be anything but independent. Instead of lifting the veil on corruption, it has shrouded itself in opacity, denying the public the transparency it claims to champion. No clear process, no public hearings, no disclosure of findings as they unfold—only silence and shadows.
This breeds suspicion, and rightly so: what good is an inquiry that hides from the very people it is meant to serve?
Worse, the appointment of a “special adviser” like retired PNP Chief Azurin reeks of political accommodation. Here is a man with no established record as an anti-corruption crusader, suddenly installed alongside a former DPWH Secretary, a forensic accountant, and a retired Justice—all of whom already have the expertise to do the job. His role is not just redundant; it looks like a backdoor seat at the table for someone whose value lies not in integrity, but in political utility.
The danger is clear: the ICI risks becoming a shield for the powerful rather than a sword against corruption. Instead of exposing rot, it could end up protecting it—laundering scandals into silence, turning hard evidence into soft conclusions, and whitewashing accountability in the name of “due process.”
And the people know it. That is why public confidence is low, and skepticism is high. Citizens can smell theater when they see it. Without transparency, without fearless independence, and with advisers whose qualifications invite more questions than answers, the ICI risks going down in history not as a crusader for truth, but as yet another government body designed to investigate everything—and exonerate everyone.
“Without transparency and true independence, the ICI is not an instrument of justice—it’s just another smoke machine, built to protect the powerful and pacify the people.”
