PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will await the submission of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) report before deciding whether to abolish it or appoint new members of the body, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the statement after the ICI said it would submit its report to the Office of the President despite being unable to resume full operations due to a lack of quorum.
“The president will still wait for the records and the report of the ICI. It is only then that the president will likely make a decision regarding the ICI,” Castro said during a press conference.
Citing the previous statements of resigned ICI commissioners Rogelio Singson and Rossana Fajardo, she said their tasks on the ICI were already completed.
“So what is needed now is simply to consolidate and gather the evidence that has been collected, as well as the testimonies of the people they invited,” Castro said.
“Almost all of those invited appeared and cooperated, except Congressman Paolo ‘Polong’ Duterte and former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral,” she added.
Castro also maintained that the fact-finding body could still continue with its mandate even with just one member, its chairman, retired Justice Andres Reyes.
“And even if we say that the ICI is nearing the end of its term, if it has indeed already completed its work, the Office of the Ombudsman and the DOJ (Department of Justice) are there,” she said.
“They are also diligent in investigating corruption. So it cannot be said that the people have lost hope when it comes to probing these kinds of anomalies,” Castro added.
But should the ICI be dissolved, the official assured the public that the Marcos administration’s promise to exact accountability on those involved in the flood control scandal would still be carried out by the Office of the Ombudsman and the DOJ.
She also reiterated that the president made clear that no one was exempt from investigation.
“No one is spared — ally, relative or friend. If an investigation is needed, it will be conducted,” Castro said.
The president earlier said the ICI was “coming toward the end,” noting that appointing new commissioners would depend on how much work the independent body has left.
“Everything that needed to be investigated has already been investigated — maybe there are one or two other loose ends that they have to clear up,” Marcos said.
As of Dec. 26, 2025, the commission had filed eight referrals with the Office of the Ombudsman, excluding joint referrals with the Department of Public Works and Highways involving nearly 100 persons.
The referrals have so far resulted in the filing of three cases by the Ombudsman and the arrest of 16 persons.
