Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

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/1759815710118cropped-photo-collage.png (1).png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima on Tuesday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent a House bill giving the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) more powers. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN New/PCO handout</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima on Tuesday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent a House bill giving the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) more powers.</p><p>House Bill 4453 authorizes the ICI &quot;full subpoena and contempt powers&quot; and mandates the body to make its proceedings public, said De Lima, one of the authors of the proposed law.</p><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><p>&quot;People are most interested about the investigation. The ICI really needs more powers and more transparency,&quot; De Lima said.</p><p>Marcos&#x27; Executive Order 94 created the ICI to conduct an independent inquiry into the corruption of multibillion-peso flood control funds, but it lacks the power to contempt individuals. </p><p>Pressure is also mounting for the ICI to make its proceedings public.</p><p>An investigative body like the ICI should be transparent, De Lima told ANC, saying people need to know the developments in the investigation to &quot;allay fears that there might be eventual cover-up.&quot; </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/6/cbcp-senate-coup-attempt-raises-suspicion-of-cover-up-amid-corruption-probes-1237">CBCP warns Senate coup attempt raises &#x27;suspicion of cover-up&#x27; amid corruption probes</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>MORALES HITS ICI&#x27;S &#x27;SECRECY&#x27;</strong></div><div><strong><br/></strong></div><p>In a separate interview, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales told ABS-CBN News&#x27; Karen Davila that she &quot;cannot be optimistic&quot; about the ICI probe because the hearings are &quot;held in secrecy.&quot; </p><p>&quot;They don&#x27;t involve the public. I don&#x27;t understand why because even the courts, sitting as courts, [are] open to the public. It&#x27;s only when in the interest of morality and decency that the judge... conduct hearings in private,&quot; said Morales, who was also former Supreme Court associate justice.</p><p>&quot;I don&#x27;t understand why they don&#x27;t do it transparently, publicly,&quot; she also said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/ici-executive-director-denies-claims-a-member-of-body-wants-to-quit-1020">RELATED: No ICI member wants to quit: executive director</a></div><p>ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka said they had decided to conduct the proceedings out of the public eye to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/29/ici-agenda-airtight-cases-not-trial-by-publicity-0925">avoid a trial by publicity</a>.</p><p>But Morales argued &quot;the mere fact that Congress or Senate conducts hearings openly it&#x27;s not trial by publicity because people who will decide will be the ICI people.&quot;</p><p>She noted that the ICI&#x27;s decision would only be &quot;recommendatory&quot; and that the Office of the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice would file the cases.</p><p>Morales also revealed that she had received an offer to be the legal representative of the body but declined it, saying &quot;I&#x27;m too old for that.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><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/5lAydSl75j4?&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/7Of5cjgzFrI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

De Lima calls on Marcos to certify as urgent a bill giving ICI more teeth

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

De Lima calls on Marcos to certify as urgent a bill giving ICI more teeth

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 07, 2025 01:42 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 07, 2025 01:46 PM PHT

Read More:

ICI

Independent Commission for Infrastructure

Flood Control Scandal

Flood Control

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.