MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman are currently "overwhelmed" by the volume of cases referred by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Malacañang said Wednesday, a day after the panel ceased its operations.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the statement after various groups have expressed dissatisfaction with the fact-finding body’s probe as it failed to hold accountable the big fish behind the flood control scam.
In a radio interview, Castro said the ICI, which concluded its operations on March 31, has submitted its findings to proper authorities, including referrals involving dozens of individuals linked to questionable infrastructure projects.
"The ICI is just a fact-finding committee. They are not the ones who will hold the big fish accountable. They were tasked only to gather information, facts, testimonies that can be submitted directly to the investigating bodies, like the DOJ and also the Ombudsman," Castro said.
"The filing of cases rests with the Ombudsman and DOJ," she added. "Because of the sheer volume of the referrals, the Ombudsman and DOJ are seemingly overwhelmed."