President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order creating the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate alleged misuse of funds and corruption in flood control and other government projects.
Executive Order No. 94, signed Sept. 11, gives the ad hoc body authority to hold hearings, issue subpoenas, recommend criminal and administrative cases, and freeze assets linked to irregularities.
The ICI will be composed of a chairperson and two members, supported by a secretariat led by an executive director.
The commission is authorized to recommend the filing of criminal, civil, and administrative cases, as well as the freezing or seizure of assets and preventive suspension of public officials tied to anomalous projects.
It may also enlist the expertise of qualified individuals from both the public and private sectors.
Government agencies, including the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation, and other relevant bureaus, are directed to extend full cooperation to the ICI.
The commission is required to submit monthly reports to the Office of the President and publish updates on its activities. Funding for its operations will be sourced by the Department of Budget and Management.
The order includes a sunset clause, which states that the ICI will cease to exist once it fulfills its mandate or is dissolved earlier by the president.
During his address with the Philippine media delegation in Cambodia, President Marcos vowed to create a “truly independent” commission to investigate alleged corruption in flood control projects, saying it aims to restore public trust amid worsening floods.
Mr. Marcos said the body’s mandate and members will be announced within 48 hours. The commission, composed of lawyers and investigators, will have subpoena powers but not contempt powers.
It will determine which projects were nonexistent or substandard and identify those who benefited from misused funds. Findings will be forwarded to the DOJ or Ombudsman for possible prosecution.
The president stressed the need to “clean out” corruption in the DPWH, noting questionable items in the 2026 budget.
