Philippines commission to probe widening flood project scandal

Manila: The Philippines on Saturday named the first members of an independent commission tasked with investigating a spiraling scandal into bogus floo...

Manila: The Philippines on Saturday named the first members of an independent commission tasked with investigating a spiraling scandal into bogus flood control projects that has already seen numerous lawmakers implicated.

Public scrutiny of so-called ghost infrastructure projects has been intensifying since President Ferdinand Marcos put them centre stage in a July state of the nation address that followed weeks of deadly flooding, pledging to name names.

"None of them are connected to any agency or contractor that is under investigation," presidential press officer Claire Castro said of the fact-finding body's members, who will probe infrastructure projects launched within the past 10 years.

"As the president said multiple times, there will be no sacred cows here -- even relatives, friends and allies," she added.

Former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Rogelio Singson and certified public accountant Rossana Fajardo have been designated as two of the commission's three members.