MOPC night with Andy Reyes

“I am telling you straight from the heart,” retired Supreme Court Justice Andres B. Reyes Jr. told the Manila Overseas Press Club Thursday night. “You can trust us. We will not abandon our fight against corruption. We will fight to the very end, if allowed. And we will fight until whatever it takes.”

The MOPC’s “A Night With Justice Reyes, ICI” was a blockbuster event. The chairman of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) gave hints the probe body is not done with its work yet.

Andy probably wants to continue the work of the ICI although it has been overtaken by events – like the appointment of former justice secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla to ombudsman to succeed a do-nothing Samuel Reyes Martires whose seven-year stint was remarkable for lack of remarkable achievements, except for two things – 1) a virtual ban on disclosure of statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of public officials, contrary to law and the Constitution, and 2) overturning, in complete secrecy, the November 2016 decision of his predecessor, Conchita Carpio Morales, dismissing Joel Villanueva as senator for corruption or misuse of his P10-million pork barrel. If hell needs an ombudsman, Martires’ talent can be put to good use by evil men.

With limited funds (P41 million, delivered three months late) and manpower (just three lawyers to investigate cases in the P1.7-trillion flood control scam of the past 10 years), the ICI of Chairman Reyes and Commissioners Babes Singson and Rossana Fajardo of SGV should be proud of what it has achieved in just 82 days. Singson and Fajardo, however, resigned last December from the ICI, leaving Andy by his lonesome self.

Asked to comment that “if you want to correct the government or correct corruption, then it would take several lifetimes, because then you would probably need to take out everyone who is part of the system,” Justice Andy merely smiled, “I am still hopeful.”

Andy, 76, is a firm believer in St. Paul’s triad of virtues – “faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” Hope is not wishful thinking but what one Catholic says “is the confident expectation of God’s faithfulness and future promises.” “What the world needs now is love (not greed),” said a poster flashed early on by Andy Reyes during a press conference last year.

Andy went to the best of Catholic schools, which may explain his Christian values – La Salle Greenhills for high school, Saint Mary’s College of California (“We Inspire Minds”) for his bachelor’s degree in economics and Ateneo de Manila University (“A Man for Others”) for his law. He also has a master of public administration from the Philippine Women’s University and master in public safety from the Philippine Public Safety College.

Imbued in him early on in life is the tenet, “Thou shall not steal.” “You cannot bring your wealth to the grave,” he says, “except your barong.” He is a jurist of 43 years. One principle is sacrosanct – “No one is above the law.”

As a jurist, Reyes is singular for belonging to the only family in the Philippines counting three generations to have served in the judiciary. His father was Andres Reyes Sr., former presiding justice of the Court of Appeals. Andy Reyes Jr. was also presiding justice of the Court of Appeals, 2010-2017, during which time he achieved zero backlog in cases as old as 20 years. Andy’s grandfather was Alex Reyes (UP Law, 2014), the Grand Old Man of the Supreme Court.

Andy’s dad, Judge Andres Reyes Sr., handled the celebrated cases of Ben Ulo (a murderer and an aide of notorious defense secretary, Oscar Castelo), Manuel Monroy (killed by Ben Ulo because he was senator Claro Recto’s main witness against Castelo for bribery and extortion), Nardong Putik (a Cavite gangster), Makati mayor Maximo Estrella (ousted for graft) and Joseph Estrada (he declared Erap won the San Juan mayoralty the first time he ran in 1969).

Here in brief is what the ICI has achieved in 82 days:

• Verified 8,000 flood control projects (FCPs) out of total of 29,800 FCPs which constituted 12.5 percent of the 238,200 infrastructure projects of the DPWH;

• Conducted 32 hearings totaling 44 hours;

• Invited 25 notable personalities as witnesses, resource persons or suspects, including seven senators and 20 legislators;

• Processed 1,173 documents;

• Froze 6,692 bank accounts of the flood control syndicate and P24.7 billion of their assets, including 229 motor vehicles, 3,554 real properties 394 insurance policies, 16 e-wallet accounts, and ten aircraft and

• Made nine referrals involving 65 individuals to the ombudsman for prosecution and filing of charges, led by Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, former Rep. Zaldy Co, former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez and former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla.

Formed in September 2025, ICI’s mandate is “prioritize the investigation of flood control and infrastructure projects within the last 10 years from the effectivity of EO 94.” ICI was hampered by its lack of contempt powers. It cannot impose penalties against individuals who fail to appear despite being subpoenaed.

Remarkable is ICI’s ability to establish, in under 80 days, an investigation and coordination framework, conduct hearings and initiate enforcement and recovery actions.

Andy Reyes believes personalities involved in the anomalous flood control projects became too greedy, thus harming the lives of every Filipino.

“If we only love one another and if we just love our country, if we love our poor – we will not experience this scandal, masyado silang suwapang – too selfish. You don’t need so many houses, you don’t need so many shoes,” Reyes intoned.

He reminded everyone in the MOPC audience: “You should understand that love means you should not get more than what you need. If you steal the money, there is karma. Ang Diyos, hindi natutulog.”

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