Jamaine Punzalan

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspects a P77.1-million flood mitigation structure in Barangay Frances, Calumpit, Bulacan on August 15, 2025. Mark Balmores, PPA pool

Article (news)

MARCOS

Michael Delizo

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/176293457552720250815-marcos-calumpit-flood-control-PPA6038.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspects a P77.1-million flood mitigation structure in Barangay Frances, Calumpit, Bulacan on August 15, 2025. Mark Balmores, PPA pool </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) said Wednesday it is prioritizing the development of cases for 80 projects linked to top flood control contractors earlier named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</p><p>The ICI, together with the Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), held a High Command Conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City to align efforts and create a unified action plan for the investigation, data gathering, and prosecution of individuals and entities behind anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects.</p><p>&quot;Out of the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/9/dpwh-uncovers-421-ghost-projects-out-of-8-000-inspected-1030">421 [ghost projects]</a>, we are prioritizing the 80 projects na ang involved diyan are the 15 or 18 na contractors na minention ni BBM,&quot; ICI Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. told reporters in a chance interview.</p><p>(Out of the 421 [ghost projects], we are prioritizing the 80 where the contractors involved are the 15 or 18 mentioned by President Marcos.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>40 TO BE DETAINED </strong></div><p>In a separate interview, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said almost 40 individuals are expected to be detained in connection with anomalous projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro before Christmas.</p><p>&quot;So right now, I think meron nang apat, lima na kasong na-file sa Ombudsman. So &#x27;yan ang mga unang-unang makukulong — &#x27;yan &#x27;yong sa Bulacan, sila Discaya, sila Hernandez, Alcantara, et al; &#x27;yong Mindoro na in-announce na rin ni Ombudsman kahapon na mukhang ma-file nila sa Sandiganbayan na sa mga susunod na araw, &#x27;yan ang kasama si former Congressman Zaly Co, Sunwest, at mga Discaya din,&quot; Dizon said.</p><p>(So right now, I think four or five cases have already been filed with the Ombudsman. Those will be the first ones to face jail — the cases in Bulacan involving Discaya, Hernandez, Alcantara, and others; and the Mindoro cases which the Ombudsman also announced yesterday and will likely be filed before the Sandiganbayan in the coming days, including former Congressman Zaly Co, Sunwest, and also the Discaya group.)</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/12/ici-seeks-power-to-padlock-establishments-liable-for-flood-control-infra-anomalies-0041">READ: ICI seeks power to padlock establishments liable for flood control, infra anomalies</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>PROBE ON CEBU </strong></div><p>Azurin said the ICI will also scrutinize flood control projects in the Ilocos region and Cebu — areas heavily affected by recent typhoons.</p><p>The commission targets to visit the Ilocos region this week, while Cebu — which suffered widespread and deadly flooding due to Typhoon Tino — will be inspected by Sunday.</p><p>&quot;Sa Central Cebu tayo, sa Cebu City and Mandaue… Titignan natin kung bakit gano&#x27;n &#x27;yong nangyari despite sa napakalaki ng funding na dinala doon,&quot; Azurin said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/11/11/dpwh-to-implement-shelved-2017-flood-control-masterplan-in-storm-ravaged-cebu-1823">READ: DPWH to implement shelved 2017 flood control masterplan in storm-ravaged Cebu</a></div><p>(We will be in Central Cebu — Cebu City and Mandaue. The badly affected areas. We want to see why that happened despite the huge amount of funding allocated there.)</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Di ba, sabi nga ni Governor, P26 billion plus. So, &#x27;yan ang pinapatingnan ni ICI chairman,&quot; he added.</p><p>(Didn&#x27;t the Governor say it was more than ₱26 billion? That&#x27;s what the ICI chairman wants investigated.)</p><p>Dizon said the DPWH will also submit its report on Cebu to the ICI in the coming days.</p><p>&quot;Sa Cebu, ang kailangan talagang tingnan diyan — alam naman natin may master plan… Pero imbes na &#x27;yong mga proyekto na nakalagay sa master plan ang in-implement, hindi &#x27;yon ang in-implement. And that started when the master plan was released in 2017. We have to look at that holistically,&quot; Dizon said.</p><p>(In Cebu, what really needs to be checked — we all know there is a master plan that the President showed during our briefing with Cebu officials — that master plan was from 2017. But instead of implementing the projects listed in the master plan, those were not the ones carried out. And that started when the master plan was released in 2017. We have to look at that holistically.)</p><p>Azurin added that the ICI also conducted an inspection in Davao last week.</p><p>&quot;We hope we can develop cases, definitely. Sa ngayon, we are now getting &#x27;yong mga bid documents through the help of the CIDG and the NBI kasi meron silang subpoena power. So we need to study &#x27;yong bid documents. Ibabangga namin &#x27;yan sa actual na implementation,&quot; he said.</p><p>(We hope we can build cases — definitely. Right now, we are securing the bid documents with the help of the CIDG and the NBI because they have subpoena power. We need to study those bid documents and compare them with the actual project implementation.)</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) said Wednesday it was prioritizing the development of cases for 80 projects linked to the top flood control contractors earlier mentioned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</p>

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) said Wednesday it was prioritizing the development of cases for 80 projects linked to the top flood control contractors earlier mentioned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

ICI zeroes in on 80 flood control projects linked to firms named by Marcos

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ICI zeroes in on 80 flood control projects linked to firms named by Marcos

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 12, 2025 04:06 PM PHT

|

Updated Nov 12, 2025 06:04 PM PHT

Read More:

ICI

flood control

Marcos

DPWH

NBI

Cebu

Ilocos

Independent Commission for Infrastructure

Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

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