Rowegie Abanto

Independent Commission for Infrastructure Executive Director Brian Hosaka holds a press conference at the ICI headquarters in Taguig City on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Executive Director Atty. Brian Hosaka holds a press conference at the ICI headquarters in Taguig City on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, following a hearing involving Sarah Discaya and Curlee Discaya.
The commission decided to proceed with its investigation despite the Discayas’ decision to withdraw their cooperation.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

GHOST FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176068710302320251015-ici-brian-hosaka-MT3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Independent Commission for Infrastructure Executive Director Brian Hosaka holds a press conference at the ICI headquarters in Taguig City on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) admitted Friday that there was still much work to be done to finally see the first arrests and imprisonment of corrupt personalities in the flood control scandal.</p><p>Pressure is mounting for the government to act fast and recover stolen money, potentially in billions of pesos, meant to build anti-flood infrastructure projects— and put offenders behind bars.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/15/71-percent-of-filipinos-believe-those-responsible-for-flood-control-scandal-will-be-punished-1131">&#x27;Big majority&#x27; of Filipinos believe culprits in flood control corruption will be punished</a></div><p>While there have been <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/17/customs-eyes-competitive-transparent-bidding-of-discaya-luxury-cars-by-nov-15-1357">a few successes</a> since <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/-mahiya-naman-kayo-marcos-order-probe-on-corruption-in-flood-control-projects-1725">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation </a>into the irregularities in the flood relief projects a couple of months ago, the public has yet to see an individual being arrested or jailed in connection with the corruption scandal.</p><p>Lawyer Brian Keith Hosaka, executive director of the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/11/marcos-announces-creation-of-independent-body-on-flood-control-probe-1412">ICI</a>, explained that the mandate of the body was to build complaints, gather evidence, and present them in such a way for the Ombudsman to evaluate the cases faster.</p><p>The Office of the Ombudsman investigates and recommends the filing of cases against erring public officials. </p><p>The complaints are then tried before the Sandiganbayan or before other courts.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/9/-remulla-takes-oath-as-new-ombudsman-1123">Ombudsman Remulla vows to take flood control projects cases to Sandiganbayan</a></div><p>While the ICI can also recommend the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/30/ici-amlc-ink-deal-to-strengthen-cooperation-in-flood-control-probe-1431">freezing of one&#x27;s assets</a> and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/15/ici-seeks-new-lookout-order-vs-mitch-cajayon-uy-art-atayde-others-1319">endorse the monitoring of a person&#x27;s travel movements</a>, it does not have contempt powers to issue arrest orders, which some lawmakers sought to address in their proposed legislation <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/marcos-urged-to-certify-as-urgent-bill-giving-ici-more-teeth-1342">giving the body more teeth</a>.</p><p>The ICI was created by Marcos to investigate flood control and other potentially anomalous infrastructure projects in the past decade.</p><p>&quot;The buck doesn&#x27;t stop with us; it has to be filed eventually by the Ombudsman to the courts, which is the Sandiganbayan,&quot; Hosaka told ANC&#x27;s Dateline Philippines. </p><p>&quot;It is only then when it is in the proper courts that warrants of arrest can be issued and people can be put behind bars,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Unfortunately, that&#x27;s due process, that&#x27;s our judicial system, and we have to follow that; we need to follow the rule of law.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/13/-meron-na-ici-secures-evidence-vs-culprits-in-flood-control-corruption-1314">&#x27;Meron na&#x27;: ICI secures evidence vs culprits in flood control corruption</a></div><p>To appease public anger toward the corruption scandal, Hosaka said the ICI was seeking to recover assets acquired through the flood control scam, which he described as a &quot;faster remedy.&quot;</p><p>It is also focusing on &quot;low-hanging fruit&quot; as it zeroes in on its investigation into the 421 ghost or non-existent flood control projects, Hosaka said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/17/ici-to-investigate-bong-go-next-0723">ICI to investigate Bong Go next?</a></div><p>Around 16 government agencies met Thursday with ICI officials to discuss how the asset recovery would be tackled, he said.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s not enough that we put people [in] jail; we have to recover this ill-gotten, the unlawfully gotten money from the coffers,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/423MSf0HUwU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dvtyDjHoez0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl1daHU6e7M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTz8aDj5HNQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Independent Commission for Infrastructure admitted Friday that there was still much work to be done to finally see the first arrests and imprisonment of corrupt personalities in the flood control scandal.</p>

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure admitted Friday that there was still much work to be done to finally see the first arrests and imprisonment of corrupt personalities in the flood control scandal.

ICI admits long way to go before culprits in flood control scam are jailed

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ICI admits long way to go before culprits in flood control scam are jailed

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 17, 2025 04:01 PM PHT

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Updated October 17, 2025 05:18 PM PHT

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ICI

Independent Commission for Infrastructure

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Brian Keith Hosaka

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