Vice President Sara Duterte questioned the establishment of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), saying it appears to have been formed to “legitimize” the government’s narrative on corruption through its official reports.
Duterte made the remark when asked to assess the progress of the ICI’s ongoing investigations.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. created the ICI through Executive Order No. 94 to investigate alleged corruption in government infrastructure projects, including flood control initiatives, in recent years.
Speaking to reporters in Manaoag, Pangasinan, Duterte said she found it unnecessary to form the commission, emphasizing that the Office of the President already has the capability and resources to conduct case build-up on corruption issues.
“I don’t know why the ICI needs to investigate because it’s simple the Office of the President has billions in confidential funds that can be used for case buildup,” she said in Filipino.
The three-member commission has invited several personalities and politicians linked to alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects. It has also held meetings with various government agencies.
In an earlier statement, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said the commission is aware of calls to livestream its hearings but decided against it to avoid “trial by publicity.”
“The ICI will not allow itself to be used for any political leverage or agenda by any individual or group,” Hosaka said.
Duterte, however, expressed doubts over the objectivity of the commission’s findings.
“They opened ICI so whatever its investigation report is, that will become the official narrative on corruption,” she said. “That way, citizens won’t be able to question the results because they’ll say it’s legitimate — that it came from a commission created by the President.”
Hosaka earlier confirmed that contractor couple Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya have withdrawn their cooperation from the ongoing probe into alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
