ICI still carrying out its mandate probing flood control projects —Palace

The Independent Commission on Infrastructure remains operational and continues to carry out its mandate to investigate alleged anomalous flood control projects, Malacañang said Thursday.

"I believe the ICI is still operating and complying with its mandate," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a Palace briefing.

"There's no money spent na we can say was wasted. The people in the ICI are still working and investigating the documents given to them," she said.

On January 16, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the work of the ICI is about to be finished, adding that it already investigated what needs to be probed in the anomalous flood management projects. 

According to Castro, the President is still awaiting for the report, noting there is no deadline set for its submission.

She also echoed Marcos' remarks that the fate of the commission would be decided after receiving the report.

"The President is just awaiting the report of the ICI. Upon receipt of the report, the President will make the next move regarding the ICI," Castro added.

On Tuesday, the ICI Technical Working Group (TWG) for Asset Recovery said it is in the process of computing the estimated value of the recovered assets of personalities tagged in the flood control mess. This comes after the TWG convened for its seventh coordination meeting.

Castro said the ICI is still investigating other cases related to the flood control controversy.

"Sa aking pagkakaalam, meron pa silang iniimbestigahan dahil marami pang mga dokumento ang naiwan sa kanila," she said.

(As far as I know, they are still investigating other cases related to the documents submitted to them.)

Executive Order 94

Marcos issued Executive Order 94 in September of last year, which created the ICI as a non-partisan fact-finding body that would investigate irregularities in flood control projects and infrastructure projects in the last ten years.

It is being chaired by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr.

To recall, Singson resigned for health and security reasons in December 2025. For her part, Fajardo said she has completed the work she set out to accomplish.

The fate of the ICI has been in the headlines after ICI special adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. mentioned that the body was not able to make any referrals regarding flood control anomalies due to lack of commissioners.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, who is a lawyer, expressed belief that the ICI still has the power and authority to recommend cases even if it lacks commissioners, saying that with enough pieces of evidence, its chairman can still recommend the filing of charges against certain individuals.

Since its creation, the ICI has already filed at least eight referrals with the Office of the Ombudsman, in relation to the flood control mess. These include referrals against former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co.

The referrals were made either to recommend the filing of charges or to further investigate the alleged involvement of some government officials in the corruption.—AOL, GMA Integrated News