The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) condemned reports of “widespread destruction and tampering” of documents tied to alleged irregularities in flood control projects involving personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“Such acts constitute not only a blatant obstruction of ongoing investigations but also a direct assault on the public’s right to transparency and accountability,” ICI chair retired Justice Andres Reyes Jr. said in a statement.
Reyes stressed that records of public works are public property, warning that “any attempt to destroy, falsify, or conceal them is a grave offense that carries both administrative and criminal liability.”
The commission cautioned that document tampering undermines accountability efforts and further erodes public trust in government institutions. It urged DPWH officials and employees to cooperate with its investigation and safeguard the integrity of all records in their custody.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. created the ICI under Executive Order No. 94 to investigate anomalies in flood control and other infrastructure projects from the Aquino administration through Duterte’s term and up to the first three years of his presidency. The body is mandated to identify those liable for misuse of public funds.
The ICI has been granted subpoena powers to summon witnesses and secure documents but lacks contempt powers, with Marcos saying these are unnecessary for its fact-finding role. Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, however, have filed measures seeking to give the commission authority to cite uncooperative individuals in contempt.
Based on its probe, the ICI will recommend the filing of criminal, civil, or administrative cases before the Office of the President, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, and the Civil Service Commission. Marcos earlier assured that the commission will operate independently and without interference from the executive branch.
