Palace: ICI closure not end of flood control inquiry

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March 16, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The pursuit of people involved in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal continues even with the looming closure of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Malacañang said yesterday.

The ICI – the body created by President Marcos through Executive Order 94 in September last year to probe anomalous flood control projects in the last 10 years – announced that it would end its operations on March 31 after submitting its findings to the Office of the Ombudsman and Department of Justice (DOJ).

“The mandate to pursue those responsible will continue. The conclusion of ICI does not signal the end of the inquiry,”Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

She said the fact-finding body already turned over its report to the ombudsman for further investigation.

“The Ombudsman and DOJ are still conducting preliminary investigations into the cases submitted or recommended to be filed. Furthermore, they have the power to conduct more investigations motu proprio,” the Palace press officer said.

Several groups, including Akbayan, questioned the impending shutdown of the ICI, saying the “big fish are still swimming free.”

Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima also criticized the planned closure of the ICI, saying it failed to conduct a serious investigation and to hold those involved in the flood control corruption accountable.

Ferdinand Topacio, who serves as spokesman for the Duterte-aligned Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, earlier labeled the ICI as a “waste of taxpayers’ money.”