March 31 will be the final day that the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) will continue to be operational, just six months after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to establish the infrastructure anomaly inquiry.
In a statement on Friday, March 13, ICI Chairperson Andres Reyes Jr. said that the commission would remain active until said date to “complete the necessary administrative processes related to its wind-down”.
The addressed timeline comes after the President's termination clause for Executive Order No. 94, or the directive creating the commission, which provides that the ICI be abolished once the “accomplishment of the purposes for which it was created, or unless sooner dissolved by the President.”
Marcos said on March 11 that the commission’s tasks have already been fulfilled.
The President’s remarks were subsequently agreed on by Reyes, stating that the ICI has already begun efforts on its final tasks.
These include asset recovery, submissions of referrals for further movements, and even the development of three information systems designed to detect fraud and other irregularities in infrastructure projects.
“With these frameworks and systems now in place, I believe that the Commission has fulfilled its mandate under [EO 94]], and that the work initiated by the ICI is now properly situated to be carried forward by the agencies established by law,” he added.
Yet, the ICI chair also said that the achievements that the commission made is only the "initial phase of a much broader investigation effort,” and shows that with strong inter-agency coordination, proper investigations could be conducted, which can lead to the “persecution of those responsible” for stolen public funds.
Furthermore, Reyes said that all documents, evidence, and findings of the ICI have already been turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman, equating to about “200 megabytes of data,” according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.
It includes nine referrals covering 65 individuals, which the investigative body recommended for either the filing of criminal and administrative cases or subject to further investigation.
The files involve lawmakers, contractors, past and present officials of the DPWH, and the Commission on Audit. Eight House members and seven senators were also listed in the referrals.
Written by Francis Santos, Insight PH
Francis Santos, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
