Flood control projects sold down the line, says ICI head Reyes

More than a month into its investigation of the flood control anomalies, the chairperson of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) revealed that flood control projects are “sold” and are divided among those who participated in the projects. 

“The project is sold down the line. Somebody will sell the project and they select the engineer and the contractor, everybody happy,” Andres Reyes Jr. said at the press conference after the ICI visited the detention facility with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). 

The ICI has so far recommended to the Ombudsman that charges of graft and malversation be filed against mostly district engineers. District engineers are salary grade 25 and only cases involving officials at Salary Grade 27 may be filed at the Sandiganbayan. 

When asked if there would be higher government officials who would be implicated, Reyes said it was premature to say, but said charges would be evidence-based.

“We will make sure that our evidence is based on assessment. We will observe due process. We will prosecute and not persecute,” he said.

ICI Commissioner and former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Rogelio Singson, meanwhile, clarified that the ICI’s mandate is to discover facts and not haul erring officials to jail. He said that it was the Ombudsman’s mandate to bring these officials to court. 

Singson was reacting to public clamor to have those responsible for the anomalies in flood control projects put behind bars. 

“I know that our people, the taxpayers are very agitated kasi gusto nila may makulong agad. Sana maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan na ang ICI ang hindi siya nagpapakulong,” Singson said. 

He added that the 108-cell capacity detention facility that could detain a thousand individuals may not be enough. 

He said that the ICI is investigating 421 suspected ghost flood projects. —LDF, GMA Integrated News