QUEZON CITY - The House Infrastructure Committee is expected to unexpectedly halt its hearings into alleged anomalous infrastructure projects, a decision stemming from a directive by former House Speaker Martin Romualdez according to the newly appointed House Deputy Speaker—Iloilo First District Representative Janet Garin. 

The move, which came before Romualdez officially stepped down from his position, was communicated to all political parties and House leaders. This marks a significant turn in the ongoing investigation about the future of accountability for these projects.

“Meron ng parang consultation and later on direktiba galing kay Speaker Martin Romualdez na ihinto niyo na yan.” House Deputy Speaker Janet Garin said in an interview.

The decision to pause the hearings is directly linked to the recent establishment of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). The new body is expected to take over the investigation and implement safeguards against future anomalies. 

House Deputy Speaker Garin also added that according to then speaker Romualdez the hearing should be stopped "unless there are legislative measures to create safeguards to prevent a similar situation from happening again."

As the new House Speaker, Representative Faustino “Bonjie” Dy III takes on his new role, all eyes are on him to see how he will handle the directive. His actions, or lack thereof, are expected to set the tone for how the new leadership will approach the issue of infrastructure project oversight. 

The public and various political figures await his decision, hopeful for a resolution that ensures transparency and accountability in the nation’s infrastructure development.

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