By Leonel Abasola | Philippine News Agency
Malacañang on Monday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not waver in holding accountable those people behind the anomalous flood control projects.
Palace Press Officer and PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro made this remark after Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said Malacañang should not lose enthusiasm in pursuing the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) goal in holding accountable those behind the anomalous infrastructure projects.
“Ang Pangulo ang nagnais na maimbestigahan ang maanomalyang flood control projects. Marami na ang nagawa para mapanagot ang mga sangkot sa loob pa lamang ng 4 na buwan,” Usec. Castro said in a statement.
“Hindi huhupa ang naisin ng Pangulo sa naumpisahang pagpapanagot sa mga umaboso sa pondo ng bayan. Suportado rin ng Pangulo na mapalakas pa ang puwersa ng ICI,” she added.
Lacson on Monday said the ICI, despite its limited powers, has managed to flush out useful information and complement the Ombudsman and Department of Justice (DOJ) in building solid cases against those responsible.
“I wonder why Malacañang’s enthusiasm is lost all of a sudden. I still believe that the ICI is serving its purpose in flushing out useful information, to say the least, for the Ombudsman and DOJ to proceed with their preliminary investigation and come up with solid cases against those responsible in the plunder of public funds,” he said in a news release.
He was referring to reports quoting Castro as saying the creation of the Independent People’s Commission (IPC) may duplicate the work handled by the Ombudsman and DOJ.
Further intervention
Lacson said the proposed Senate Bill 1512, creating the IPC as a potential successor to the ICI, is part of the steps Congress has taken to follow President Marcos’ lead “in getting to the bottom of the unprecedented infrastructure anomalies never unearthed before by any of the past administrations.”
He said the IPC would potentially have the teeth the ICI lacked—including witness immunity and protection, rendering whistleblowers vulnerable to potential counter-charges and even harassment suits.
He also said ICI head Andres Reyes Jr. had voiced concerns to him about the possibility of witnesses being subjected to counter-charges.
Lacson added that while the ICI has subpoena powers, it cannot cite in contempt those who ignore the subpoenas—such as Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, who declined the ICI’s invitation because it supposedly had no jurisdiction over him.
“It will greatly help if the House and Senate can pass the bill all the way to the Bicam, and if the President certifies the bill as urgent. I believe the Senate President and House Speaker may need to write [to] the President to certify the measure as urgent,” he said.
President Marcos Jr. established the ICI through Executive Order 94 on Sept. 11, 2025 to investigate anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects from the last 10 years, focusing on corruption, irregularities, and misuse of funds. (PNA)
