MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday said the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), not the Office of the Ombudsman, should take the lead in investigating alleged anomalies in flood control projects and related infrastructure.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said there is no need to abolish the ICI, just because Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla was appointed as the next Ombudsman.
While Remulla is familiar with the flood control projects under scrutiny, Castro rejected the idea that the Ombudsman should handle the investigation alone.
“Ang Ombudsman kasi hindi lamang po tutok ito sa flood control projects. Marami pong kaso na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ang Ombudsman. So, hindi po natin nakikitaan na ito ang dahilan upang gibain or wakasan ang trabaho ng ICI (The Ombudsman does not focus only on flood control projects. There are many cases that the Ombudsman needs to pay attention to. So, we do not see this as a reason to abolish or end the work of the ICI),” Castro said.
Castro raised concerns about possible delays, if the Ombudsman solely handles the probe into the alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
“So, hanggang kailan tayo aabutin para matapos ang isang kaso? Kailangan po talaga may isang independent commission na siya tututok at magko-kolekta, mag-iimbestiga ng mga dokumento para po pag maibigay po ito at ma-i-rekomenda for filing at i-review na lamang po ito (how long will it take us to finish a case? There really needs to be an independent commission that will focus on collecting and investigating documents so that when these are submitted and recommended for filing, they will just be reviewed),” she said.
Castro emphasized the ICI’s crucial role in complementing the broader mandate of the Ombudsman, ensuring a more efficient and transparent investigation into flood control project anomalies.
She said the work of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ) would be expedited once the ICI completes its document gathering and preliminary investigations into the anomalous flood control projects.
“Mas mapapabilis ang magiging trabaho at pag-iinvestiga ng ombudsman at DOJ kung may kompleto na pong dokumento na manggagaling sa ICI (The work and investigation by the Ombudsman and DOJ will be faster if there are already complete documents coming from the ICI),” Castro said.
“At kung tapos na ang pagre-review at nakita meron dapat na sampahan ng kaso, mas mabilis magsasampahan ang kaso ang DOJ at Ombudsman (And once the review is done and it’s found that a case should be filed, the DOJ and Ombudsman can file the case faster),” she added.
Castro also stressed that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. fully supports transparency in all investigations, including those led by the ICI.
She, however, said it remains up to the ICI whether its processes would be made public and transparent.
“Tama po. Ang Pangulo po, sa lahat ng mga pagkakataon gusto may transparency. Sa lahat ng pag-iimbestiga dapat may transparency, walang tinatago (That’s right. The President always wants transparency in all situations. In every investigation, there must be transparency. Nothing should be hidden),” Castro said. (PNA)