Former Senator Franklin Drilon on Wednesday urged the Senate and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to prioritize the passage of Senate Bill No. 1215, which seeks to establish an Independent People’s Commission (IPC).

The proposed IPC would be tasked with investigating irregularities in both local and national government infrastructure projects, which aim to promote transparency and accountability in public service.

During the organizational meeting of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Drilon voiced concern over what he described as the “massive corruption” within the government.

“I think it cannot be denied that our people today are angry, they are angry because of what they see to be the massive corruption in the government,” Drilon said.

“I have never seen corruption of this magnitude during the 34 years that I was in public service," he added.

The veteran lawmaker and former Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary lamented what he called a “culture of impunity” in the country, where wrongdoers escape accountability due to a weakened justice system.

“They have disregarded the rule of law because people feel that they can get away in wrong doing, they can feel that they can commit crimes without fear of being punished. In my humble opinion, it is the failure of our justice system,” he said.

Drilon questioned how the nation had reached such a level of corruption and stressed the urgency of reform.

“For the first time, I saw the two cheering squads of rival universities chanting together, ‘Ikulong ang kurakot!’ This reflects how our people feel today,” he added.

“This is the reflection of how our people feel today…How did we get here? How did we get to witness such massive corruption?” he asked.

He called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to certify the bill as urgent, emphasizing that establishing the IPC would restore public trust and strengthen accountability in government.

“I consider the passage of this law as very urgent, and in that regard, I join the call to request the President to certify this measure as urgent,” Drilon said.

Drilon clarified, however, that the proposed commission should not duplicate the functions of existing commission that investigate corruption in the government.