Jamaine Punzalan

Former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes, head of  the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman documents, evidence, and findings related to the flood control scandal, February 6, 2026. ICI

Article (news)

ICI- OMBUDSMAN TURN OVER

Kaxandra Salonga

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/177449769849020260313-ici-andres-reyes-ombudsman-remulla-documents-ICI2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes, head of  the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman documents, evidence, and findings related to the flood control scandal, February 6, 2026. ICI</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said filings on flood control anomalies were expected to heat up.</p><p>“Ngayong tag-init, iinit sinasabi ko sa inyo,” Remulla told reporters.</p><p>The Ombudsman previously filed cases against former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and officials of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Mimaropa before the anti-graft court over an alleged substandard road dike in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.</p><p>It also lodged malversation and graft charges against former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and officials of the DPWH-Bulacan First District Engineering Office over an alleged “ghost” flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. </p><p>Meanwhile, Contractor Sarah Discaya faces similar graft and malversation charges concerning a “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental.</p><p>Authorities are currently probing the alleged involvement of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, along with Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Yap and his brother, former ACT-CIS party-list representative Edvic Yap, in flood control anomalies.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/23/up-to-ombudsman-to-review-alleged-ici-findings-clearing-romualdez-in-flood-control-mess-palace-1438">Up to Ombudsman to review alleged ICI findings clearing Romualdez in flood control mess: Palace</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ASSET PRESERVATION ORDERS </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said that asset preservation orders have also been issued by court against individuals tagged in the flood control scandal, so they still do not have access to their bank accounts, despite reports that the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) freeze orders have been lifted.</p><p>He clarified that although AMLC freeze orders automatically expire after six months, the assets remain preserved under asset preservation orders. </p><p>“Basta may asset preservation order sa civil forfeiture on the same cases, hindi pa rin magagalaw ng respondent ang kanilang pera,” Clavano said. </p><p>“They [court] assured us that all those that have been frozen are subject to civil forfeiture cases,” he added.  </p><p>In a statement, the AMLC said it has filed three petitions for civil forfeiture before the Regional Trial Court in Manila, covering properties of individuals and entities under several Court of Appeals-issued freeze orders. </p><p>It said the Regional Trial Court has since issued two provisional asset preservation orders related to these petitions.</p><p>“The investigation covers numerous entities, interconnected accounts, and a wide range of assets, requiring the examination and reconciliation of voluminous financial documents, transaction histories, and supporting evidence… given the scale and intricacy of the data, the AMLC is proceeding with deliberate care to ensure that all evidence is complete and accurate,” the council said. </p><p>It added that thousands of accounts and multiple layers of transactions had to be carefully verified and analyzed by the council to establish clear linkages and asset trails.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>350 PENDING CASES</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Clavano said 350 cases involving high-ranking officials were already pending when they assumed office, the oldest of which dated 2 years back .</p><p>He noted that some delays could be attributed to the “parking” of cases, where proceedings were intentionally stalled. Clavano said the Ombudsman’s previously released guidelines on <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/12/ombudsman-amends-rules-to-require-higher-level-of-evidence-expedite-fact-finding-1346">expediting preliminary investigations</a> and fact-finding aim to solve this.</p><p>The office earlier launched a<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/24/ombudsman-launches-nationwide-inventory-of-pending-cases-1701"> nationwide inventory of all pending cases </a>to improve its records management and documentation.</p><p>As part of its inventory efforts, the chief graft buster urged parties involved in pending complaints to submit reports containing case details and supporting documents to the office by June 19.</p><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/Ozrlwd9RyIc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Thursday that case filings related to the flood control scandal would soon “heat up.”</p>

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Thursday that case filings related to the flood control scandal would soon “heat up.”

Remulla says flood control case filings to ‘heat up’

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Remulla says flood control case filings to ‘heat up’

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 26, 2026 12:04 PM PHT

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Updated March 26, 2026 01:59 PM PHT

Read More:

corruption

flood control

baha

Ombudsman

Remulla

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