MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Monday named former Supreme Court justice Andres Reyes to head a newly created Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which will investigate alleged corruption in flood control and related projects over the past decade.

The announcement came as street protests were mounting over "ghost" and substandard infrastructure projects, with a major rally set for Sept 21. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has been on red alert since Sept 12 to back up police in maintaining order during nationwide demonstrations, a measure officials described as routine security protocol.

Reyes will work with former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and SGV & Co country managing partner Rossana Fajardo, while Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong was appointed special adviser. The ICI has the power to subpoena witnesses, obtain government records, and recommend cases against erring officials and contractors.

Ongoing congressional probes have implicated legislators, contractors, and public works engineers in schemes that allegedly siphoned billions of pesos. Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has described corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways as "systemic".