Palace: Up to Ombudsman, DOJ to disclose ICI findings

Malacañang said Monday it is up to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice to publicize the final report of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) as regards the probe into the anomalous flood control projects.

''Opo, depende na po sa kanila iyan. So, respeto po sa kanila dahil nasa kanila po iyon,'' Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing when asked if the Ombudsman and DOJ would decide on sharing their findings to the public. 

(Yes, we leave it up to them.)

Asked if President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. will direct the two bodies to disclose their findings, Castro answered in the negative. 

''Hindi po. Unang-una po, ang Ombudsman po ay independent body. Ang DOJ, ibibigay po natin sa authority ‘no. I’m not saying na bibigyan ng authority pero nasa pag—sa discretion na po iyan ng DOJ kung ano ang kanilang ibibigay na report na ibinigay sa kanila ng ICI,'' she said.

(No. First of all, the Ombudsman is an independent body. With regards to the DOJ, it's within their authority. It's within their discretion.) 

The ICI wrapped up its operations last week after six months of investigating the anomalies in the country’s flood control projects. For his part, ICI chairperson retired Justice Andres Reyes, Jr. said that they are satisfied with what they have accomplished. 

Several boxes of documents related to the anomalous flood control projects were turned over to the Ombudsman by the ICI. 

Marcos created the ICI through Executive Order No. 94 in September last year as a non-partisan fact-finding body tasked to investigate alleged irregularities in flood control and other infrastructure projects over the past 10 years.

Meanwhile, asked about reports that some employees of the ICI have not received their salaries yet, Castro said the budget was already given to the body.

She added that concerns should raised with the ICI leadership. —AOL, GMA News