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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech at the contract signing of the construction for the Metro Manila Subway Project’s (MMSP) Quezon Avenue and East Avenue Station, as well as the Anonas and Camp Aguinaldo stations. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/Pool

Article (news)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17653426227941765342622019.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech at the contract signing of the construction for the Metro Manila Subway Project’s (MMSP) Quezon Avenue and East Avenue Station, as well as the Anonas and Camp Aguinaldo stations. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/Pool</em><br id="isPasted"/></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continues to trust the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) even as he calls on Congress to prioritize a bill establishing a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/9/marcos-directs-congress-to-prioritize-anti-dynasty-party-list-reform-bills-1227">more powerful counterpart of the body</a>, Malacañang said on Wednesday.</p><p>“Wala pa naman po ang batas at tiwala po ang pangulo sa mga ginagawa ng ICI,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a Palace press briefing.</p><p>(The law has yet to be enacted and the president sill trusts the work of the ICI)</p><p>“Tingnan lamang kung hindi magkakaroon ng duplication ng work, especially with the ombudsman at wag magamit na weapon ito especially sa pamumulitika,” she said.</p><p>(Let us just check if there is duplication of work, especially with the ombudsman and that the body will not be used as a weapon for politics)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ICI &#x27;DOES NOT LACK TEETH&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Palace also denied claims that the ICI lacks teeth as well as sufficient powers to carry out its tasks — while it has subpoena powers, for example, it cannot cite people in contempt for ignoring summonses. </p><p>Castro said Marcos Jr. would not have created the ICI only to deprive it of what it needs to do its job.</p><p>“Wala silang contempt power dahil hindi ito ang purpose… Kung hindi mag gather ng data, documents, evidence,” she said.</p><p>(It has no contempt power because that is not their purpose... it is to gather data, documents and evidence)</p><p>She said that cases have been filed against alleged participants in corruption in flood-control projects and many have had their assets frozen because of the ICI&#x27;s work.</p><p>Malacañang’s statement comes a day after Marcos Jr. told Congress to prioritize four bills, including one that would create the Independent People’s Commission, a body expected to replace the ICI in investigating reported anomalies in infrastructure projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/10/anti-dynasty-law-needed-for-ph-to-become-a-real-democracy-lawmaker-1158"><strong>Anti-dynasty law needed for PH to become a &#x27;real democracy&#x27;—lawmaker</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></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/8loqrsxRq_A?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continues to trust the Independent Commission for Infrastructure even as the Chief Executive wants Congress to prioritize a bill seeking to establish a more powerful counterpart of the panel, Malacañang said on Wednesday.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continues to trust the Independent Commission for Infrastructure even as the Chief Executive wants Congress to prioritize a bill seeking to establish a more powerful counterpart of the panel, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

Marcos trusts ICI even as creation of Independent People's Commission marked priority — Palace

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Marcos trusts ICI even as creation of Independent People's Commission marked priority — Palace

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 10, 2025 01:19 PM PHT

Read More:

Independent Commission for Infrastructure

ICI

Independent People’s Commission

Corruption

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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