Daven Tamayo

De Lima urges ICI to open infra scandal probe to public

Former Senator Leila de Lima speaks at the House of Representatives on October 22, 2024, during the Quad-Committee hearing on extrajudicial killings tied to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

QUAD-COMM-HEARING

Dennis Gasgonia

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila De Lima has urged the  Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to publicize its probe into the anomalous infrastructure projects involving government officials, including lawmakers. In a statement, De Lima criticized the ICI&#x27;s continued refusal to hold live streaming of its hearings.&quot;This is not what we expected from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure,&quot; she said. &quot;&#x27;Pag sinabing &#x27;independent&#x27; commission, hindi ibig sabihin, magsasarili na lang, magso-solo.&quot;(When we say &#x27;independent commission, that doesn&#x27;t mean one that keeps its proceedings to itself)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/sen-mark-villar-attends-ici-probe-into-flood-control-mess-0921">Sen. Mark Villar attends ICI probe into flood control mess</a></div>&quot;Ito bang pagmamatigas ng ICI, ito rin ba ang gusto ng Pangulo?&quot;(Is the ICI&#x27;s stubbornness what the President wants?)De Lima&#x27;s statement came a day after rumors spread online regarding a supposed outburst by Sen. Mark Villar, who was called to attend the ICI hearings based on his capacity as the former Public Works chief.Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos shared her sentiments.Santos said that making the hearings public will promote transparency, accountability, and fairness, especially on matters involving billions of pesos in public funds.“This is why the ICI should consider live streaming its hearings — so that the people themselves can see what’s really happening. Kung may live stream, eh di walang ganyan sana,” Santos said in a statement.The lawmaker emphasized that Senator Villar should no longer be treated as a mere resource person, but rather as a respondent or defendant, citing his past role as DPWH Secretary from 2016 to 2021 and his current position as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works.“Given his previous position and influence over DPWH projects, the ICI should again summon Villar to shed light on the flood control anomalies,” Santos added. Santos also noted that former Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla confirmed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is conducting an investigation into possible conflict of interest violations involving I&amp;E Construction, a company allegedly linked to Villar’s cousin and former Las Piñas mayoral candidate Carlo Aguilar.The company reportedly secured ₱18.5 billion worth of government contracts, including major DPWH flood control projects under scrutiny by the ICI.“Dapat transparent ang ICI para makita ng mamamayan kung sino ang tama. Ayaw kasi ipublic eh—sino ngayon ang papaniwalaan ng tao?” Santos said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/8/palace-up-to-ici-to-make-investigations-public-1238">Palace: Up to ICI to make investigations public</a></div>De Lima said if Marcos Jr. is sincere about his promise to keep things transparent, then he should do the same with the ICI.&quot;If he is one with the clamor for transparency, we call on the President to urge the ICI—created through his Executive Order No. 94—to livestream its hearings,&quot; said the congresswoman. Making the probe public will assure Filipinos there will be no whitewash or potential cover-up, she said.&quot;Kaya nga binuo ang ICI dahil sa kagustuhan ng publiko na malaman ang buong katotohanan, tapos isisikreto lang nila ang pagdinig. Para naman tayong naglolokohan,&quot; she said.(The ICI was formed precisely because the people want to know the truth but they hold their hearings behind closed doors. It feels like we&#x27;re just fooling each other)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/6/more-transparency-sought-from-ici-1729">More transparency sought from ICI </a> </div>De Lima added that the ICI should be provided more authority to aid in its investigation.&quot;Aside from transparency, the ICI urgently needs greater power. That’s exactly why we have been pushing, along with the co-authors of House Bill No. 4453, to complement it and make it stronger,&quot; she said.&quot;We are wondering: What’s taking the House leadership so long to act on it? And why hasn’t the President certified it as urgent?&quot;

House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila De Lima has urged the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to publicize its probe into the anomalous infrastructure projects involving government officials, including lawmakers.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila De Lima has urged the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to publicize its probe into the anomalous infrastructure projects involving government officials, including lawmakers.