ICI seeks closure after 9 referrals covering 65 people

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March 13, 2026 | 1:52pm

MANILA, Philippines — Independent Commission for Infrastructure Chair Andres Reyes has recommended winding down the body’s operations after it turned over its remaining evidence and findings to the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a statement on Friday, March 13, Reyes said the commission had been operating for six months. But the resignation of two commissioners left it functioning as a collegial body for only about three months.

"Within this brief period, the Commission has established the investigative framework and methodology that can now be adopted and replicated by statutory prosecutorial agencies in examining the full universe of anomalous infrastructure projects," Reyes said.

Reyes said the commission had made nine referrals covering 65 individuals purportedly involved in the massive flood control scheme. It also started developing three information systems to detect fraud and turned over its investigative methodology to the Ombudsman.

These steps showed the ICI had fulfilled its mandate under the executive order that created it, Reyes said.

"While these represent only the initial phase of a much broader investigative and restitution effort, these accomplishments demonstrate that, with strong inter-agency coordination, proper investigations can be conducted which could ultimately lead to the successful prosecution of those responsible and the recovery of stolen public funds," Reyes said.

"I hereby recommend that the ICI wind down its operations. The Commission will remain operational until March 31, 2026 to complete the necessary administrative processes related to its wind-down," he added.

Created after flood control scandal. The ICI was among President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s anti-corruption measures after the flood control scandal came to light.

With billions of pesos suspected to have been stolen from public coffers, the commission drew high expectations when it was created in late 2025.

But two commissioners, former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and SGV executive Rossana Fajardo, later resigned.

Fajardo said she stepped down after seeing that the commission had done what it could, while Singson cited health reasons.

In February, the ICI turned over its 125-day accomplishment report to Marcos.