Cheyenne Suarez

Activists, disaster survivors storm ICI office to demand transparency in flood-control probe

Article (news)

Johnson Manabat

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:551px;height:715px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1981543034191040704&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-10-24T05%3A58%3A46.186004%3A4f03c0ea-8378-48ad-a061-d5c39c068748%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=9ae06138ac4a27715485ed84427484ca7e2fc805&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1981543034191040704"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>MANILA — Activists and disaster survivors stormed the main gate of the Department of Energy in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Friday, October 24, to demand transparency from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure that holds office there.</p><p>Security and police personnel managed to prevent  groups with the People Surge National Alliance of Disaster Survivors and Victims for Justice Compensation (People’s Surge) from entering the compound, where contractors, lawmakers and government officials have met with the ICI.</p><p>Protesters shook the fence of the compound as security personnel stood their ground and Taguig City police tried to maintain order.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/23/ici-needs-rules-of-procedure-before-it-can-livestream-sessions-1748"><strong>ICI needs rules of procedure before it can livestream sessions<br/></strong></a></div><p>Mimi Doringo, spokesperson of People’s Surge, reminded members of the commission that they are paid by taxpayers, adding they should not be &quot;puppets&quot; of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who created the panel and picked its members.</p><p>She added the ICI should be more transparent in its proceedings, which civil society and activist groups have demanded be streamed online.</p><p>“Dahil hanggang sa ngayon, itinatago nila yung mga bulgar na dapat ipinapakita sa taumbayan. Ang gusto natin, habang nagkakaroon ng imbestigasyon — lehitimong nakikita ito, live ng taumbayan ano na ba ang nangyayari,” Doringo said. </p><p>(Because until now they haven&#x27;t disclosed what should be made available to the people. What we want is that while the investigation is ongoing, people will be able to see live what is happening)</p><p>The ICI has agreed in principle to live stream parts of its work but said it has to come up with its rules of procedure first.</p><p>“May cover-up na nangyayari, tigilan ang cover-up — panagutin ang mga sangkot,” said Doringo. </p><p>(There is a cover-up happening, and that should stop — those involved should be held accountable)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/21/-lahat-ng-sangkot-dapat-managot-groups-hold-protest-anew-vs-corruption-1750"><strong>&#x27;Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot&#x27;: Groups hold protest anew vs corruption<br/></strong></a></div><p>She added that accountability should go beyond contractors involved in substandard and non-existent flood-control projects.</p><p>“Kailangan hanggang Malacañang, hanggang kay Sara Duterte, hanggang kay Bongbong Marcos mapanagot natin dahil lahat sila ay may utang sa taumbayan,” Doringo said.</p><p>(Accountability should reach Malacañang, up to Vice President Sara Duterte, up to Bongbong Marcos. They should be held accountable because they owe that to the people)</p><p>Both Marcos and Duterte have expressed confidence that they will not be implicated in the controversy and have said attempts to link them to it would be mere politicking.</p><p>“Mahiya naman sila sa taongbayan, mahiya naman sila sa nagbabayad ng buwis,” Doringo added, referencing Marcos Jr.&#x27;s State of the Nation Address in July, when he announced investigations into flood-control projects. </p><p>People Surge, formed after Super Typhoon Yolanda hit in 2013, also <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/4/protesters-hurl-mud-mark-magnanakaw-on-discaya-compound-in-pasig-1247">picketed and threw mud at the St. Gerrard Construction office </a>in Pasig City in September.</p><p>St. Gerrard is among the contractors that was awarded the most flood-control project contracts.</p><div><br/></div><p>‘HINDI DAPAT MAINIP’</p><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro urged the public to be more patient with the system, saying that the government was doing what it could to file cases against involved parties amid the deluge of data and cases linked to questionable anti-flood programs.</p><p>“Tinutugunan po ng gobyerno ang pag-iimbestiga dito… Hindi po dapat siguro mainip ang ating mga kababayan hanggat nandiyan po, may nagtratrabaho,” she said.</p><p>“Hayaan na lang po natin umandar ang sistema at ang procedure.”</p><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formed the ICI earlier this year to conduct investigations into missing or substandard flood control projects, but the panel has been criticized after its initial refusal to livestream its proceedings.</p><p>The Philippine National Police (PNP) also drew flak for the speedy and allegedly baseless arrest of some young protesters in September, while powerful figures linked to anomalous flood control projects remained scot free.</p><p>Protesters are arrested more quickly because they may have been apprehended as they were in the course of violating the law during those rallies, Castro said.</p><p>“Isa sa mga legal na paraan ng kapulisan ang mag-aresto kung sila ay caught in the act,” the PCO official said.</p><p>“Kung sila ay gumagawa ng krimen o may basehan na sila ay gumawa ng krimen, maaari po silang maaresto,” she said.</p><p>“Hindi lisensya ang pagiging kabataan para gumawa ng krimen… Ang batas ay walang tinitingnan: kabataan na nasa tamang edad o senior citizen na may edad. Kapag gumawa ng krimen at lumabag sa batas, dapat lamang pong managot,” she said.</p><p>Castro added that the Malacañang would leave it up to the ICI to respond to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s suggestion to include opposition members in its ranks.</p><p>The President no longer needs to appoint the ICI’s additional members as the independent panel already has its own executive director that may act should there be a need to increase the members of the team, she said.</p>

<p>Security and police personnel managed to prevent groups with the People Surge National Alliance of Disaster Survivors and Victims for Justice Compensation (People Surge) from entering the compound, where contractors, lawmakers and government officials have met with the ICI.</p>

Security and police personnel managed to prevent groups with the People Surge National Alliance of Disaster Survivors and Victims for Justice Compensation (People Surge) from entering the compound, where contractors, lawmakers and government officials have met with the ICI.