Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said their focus will now shift to completing the investigation’s final components regarding the multibillion-peso flood control projects scandal, which involves lawmakers, other government officials, and private contractors.
Reyes came up with the statement after Commissioner Rossana Fajardo announced she tendered her resignation, which will take effect on December 31, 2025.
Fajardo’s departure follows the resignation of Commissioner Rogelio Singson early this month.
“In light of the resignation of Commissioner Rossana A. Fajardo, as well as the earlier resignation of Commissioner Rogelio L. Singson, from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), I wish to provide clarity and assurance to the public. Commissioner Fajardo’s resignation comes at a natural point in the Commission’s work,” said Reyes.
“The ICI was created with a clear, time-bound mandate: to gather evidence, establish facts, and propose corrective measures. To date, the Commission has filed eight referrals and cases with the Office of the Ombudsman, not including its joint referrals with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). This involves almost 100 individuals, including senators, congressmen, top and mid-level former and current officials of the DPWH, contractors, and even a sitting commissioner of the Commission on Audit (COA),” he added.
Reyes stated that as a consequence of this extensive effort, the Ombudsman has already submitted three cases to the courts, leading to the apprehension of 16 individuals, including private contractor Sarah Discaya, for non-bailable offenses.
“The ICI has also initiated efforts to recover billions of pesos through partnerships with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and other agencies of government. To date, more than P20.3 billion of assets have already been frozen, including 6,538 bank accounts, 367 insurance policies, 255 motor vehicles, 178 real properties, 16 e-wallet accounts, 3 securities accounts, and 11 air assets such as planes and helicopters,” the ICI chief said.
Reyes also said several recommendations have been made to reform the system and ensure that these infrastructure irregularities are not repeated.
These recommendations include:
1. The automatic furnishing to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) of all DPWH contracts and transactions exceeding P30 million, to expose tax evasion, underdeclaration, and illicit enrichment by contractors;
2. The opening of the national budget process to full public scrutiny, especially in bicameral conference committees, by mandating the disclosure of proponents, insertions, amendments, and minutes for all major infrastructure and flood-control items;
3. Binding inter-agency coordination among the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), COA, DPWH, Department of Justice (DOJ), BIR, AMLC, and the Philippine National Police (PNP), to enable real-time sharing of records and the conduct of parallel criminal, administrative, and financial investigations;
4. Establishing an inter-agency Technical Working Group to relentlessly pursue restitution and recovery of public funds lost through anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects;
5. The immediate suspension of payments for projects under serious review until their physical existence, progress, and compliance are independently verified;
6. The establishment of a centralized national registry and blacklisting system for contractors to permanently bar repeat offenders involved in ghost projects, fraud, and substandard works;
7. That the Office of the Ombudsman institutionalize stricter conflict-of-interest screening, including mandatory cross-checking of Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth with corporate and procurement records, to promptly detect and prosecute concealed financial interests;
8. The strengthening of whistleblower protection and independent reporting mechanisms, including secure hotlines and legal support, to encourage insiders to come forward without fear;
9. Institutionalizing public live-streaming of the Commission’s investigative hearings, to ensure transparency, deter intimidation, and restore public trust; and
10. The institutionalization of a permanent, independent fact-finding body on large-scale infrastructure corruption, through the proposed Independent People’s Commission and Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption, to carry forward this work beyond the life of the ICI.
“To ensure the fulfillment of its mandate, the Commission will now focus on finalizing the remaining items that will be submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in order to strengthen and add to the growing number of cases that will eventually be filed with the courts and hold those involved accountable,” Reyes said.
“The Commission remains fully committed to submitting all its final recommendations and ensuring that the appropriate institutions—particularly the Ombudsman — have everything they need to bring these cases forward. The public can be assured that accountability continues, and the process that the ICI began will move toward its proper legal conclusion,” he added.
