Jamaine Punzalan

The members of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure—Justice Andres Bernal Reyes Jr. (Chairperson), Rogelio “Babes” Singson (Member), and Rossana A. Fajardo(Member)—take their oath of office before Court of Appeals Justice Pedro Corales. Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who will serve as Special Adviser to the Commission, was also present during the ceremony. Photos courtesy of PCO

Article (news)

Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI)

Katrina Domingo

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/175989811301420250915-independent-commission-infrastructure-HP2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The members of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure—Justice Andres Bernal Reyes Jr. (Chairperson), Rogelio “Babes” Singson (Member), and Rossana A. Fajardo(Member)—take their oath of office before Court of Appeals Justice Pedro Corales. Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who will serve as Special Adviser to the Commission, was also present during the ceremony. Photos courtesy of PCO</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday maintained that it would not meddle with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) decision on whether to make its investigation public, despite the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s (INC) call for more transparency in probes concerning anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>INC — a religious sect known to practice bloc voting during elections — is the latest group to join calls for the independent panel to scrap its policy of conducting closed-door investigations.</p><p>“Ang Pangulo, sa lahat ng pagkakataon, gusto may transparency,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.</p><p>“Pero kung paano ito gagawin ng ICI…  Kung paano sila magiging transparent at hanggang saan, nasa ICI na po yan,” she said.</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>The ICI earlier said that it did not want to livestream and open its hearing to the public to avoid a trial by publicity.</p><p>The Palace also denied that the ICI has been submitting preliminary reports to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and shrugged off suggestions to abolish the panel  even if some of its functions were similar to the Office of the Ombudsman.</p><p>“Ang Ombudsman hindi lang tutok sa flood control projects so hindi nakikita na gibain o wakasan ang trabaho ng ICI dahil ang ICI tutok sa flood control projects,” Castro said.</p><p>“Gugustuhin po ba nila na ang Ombudsman lang ang magtrabaho dito? Hanggang kailan tayo aabutin para matapos ang kaso?” she said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>MORE POWERS FOR ICI?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Malacañang said that the President needed to review all the details of bills seeking to give more powers to the ICI before he could decide if these should be certified as urgent.</p><p>“Dapat po siguro makita muna yung pinakadetalye,” Castro said.</p><p>“Yan po ay gagawin ng Pangulo matapos po niyang mabasa kung ano ang gagawing bill,” she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/marcos-urged-to-certify-as-urgent-bill-giving-ici-more-teeth-1342">De Lima calls on Marcos to certify as urgent a bill giving ICI more teeth</a></div><p>Several lawmakers have been pushing to give the ICI powers to cite uncooperative individuals in contempt, saying that some members of the panel were frustrated over the commission’s lack of authority to effectively carry out its mandate.</p><p>Under Marcos’ Executive Order No. 94, the ICI can only refer the results of their investigations to other agencies that can file cases and prosecute parties involved in the anomalies</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">No ICI member wants to quit: executive director</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;OPEN PROCEEDINGS TO MEDIA&#x27; </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged the ICI to open its proceedings to the media if no livestream would be allowed.</p><p>“Yung ni hindi na natin alam kung ano yung tinatanong at ano yung sagot, medyo mabigat yun. Kasi siguro ang kailangan ng ICI is that your conclusion has to be supported by the public. And usually, pagka hindi alam ng mga tao yung premise at yung proseso, hindi ganung kadaling supportahan ng conclusion,” he said in a press conference.</p><p>“Assuming hindi na magbabago isipan nila…what form of transparency can you offer that will give us enough information that the journey will be together?”  </p><p>— With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News    </p><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTz8aDj5HNQ" title="Lubog sa Katiwalian: An ABS-CBN News Special on Philippine Flood Control Projects (Full Documentary)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Malacañang maintained that it would not meddle with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s decision on whether to make its investigation public, despite the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s (INC) call for more transparency in probes concerning anomalous flood control projects.</p>

Malacañang maintained that it would not meddle with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s decision on whether to make its investigation public, despite the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s (INC) call for more transparency in probes concerning anomalous flood control projects.

Palace: Up to ICI to make investigations public

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Palace: Up to ICI to make investigations public

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 08, 2025 12:38 PM PHT

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Updated October 08, 2025 01:39 PM PHT

Read More:

Independent Commission for Infrastructure

ICI

Iglesia Ni Cristo

transparency

corruption

flood control projects

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