Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Friday, Sept. 26, resigned as special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), just hours after Malacañang announced that President Marcos had instructed his legal team to assess his role in the commission.
In his resignation letter, Magalong cited pronouncements from the Palace that “undermined the role and mandate entrusted” to him.
Magalong said remarks from the Palace also cast doubt on the commission’s independence.
He formally submitted his resignation to President Marcos in a letter Friday evening.
“The Palace’s pronouncements concerning my designation, which run contrary to the terms of my appointment, have undermined the role and mandate entrusted to me,” the letter read, adding that circumstances now make his continued service “no longer tenable.”
His appointment came under review earlier this week after concerns over a possible conflict of interest surfaced regarding a P110-million Baguio City tennis court and parking facility awarded to St. Gerrard Construction.
The company is linked to contractors Cezarah and Pacifico Discaya II, who are central figures in the flood control project corruption scandal.
Magalong maintained that all procedures followed by the city’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) were legal and transparent.
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified that the mayor’s advisory role carried no authority over the Philippine National Police (PNP) or the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
She added that the President instructed his legal team to assess whether Magalong should be reassigned or replaced to preserve the ICI’s independence, while also emphasizing that Baguio City residents must remain the mayor’s priority.
“I have not neglected, nor will I ever neglect, my primary responsibility to the people of Baguio, whose welfare and interests remain at the core of my public service,” Magalong said.
He underscored that his resignation reflects both his commitment to the city and his respect for the commission’s impartiality. (Trixee Rosel)
