President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday declined to confirm whether Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong will be part of a new independent commission that will probe alleged ghost flood control projects.
Asked if Magalong—a retired police general and former head of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG)—was already tapped, Marcos said he preferred not to discuss the matter until the commission’s structure is complete.
“I don’t want to talk about it until it’s finalized. We haven’t finalized the plan yet, but it’s close, very, very soon,” President Marcos told reporters in a chance interview.
The commission is expected to investigate allegations of irregularities in flood control programs, including so-called “ghost projects” identified by critics and lawmakers.
The body will serve as an investigative arm and submit recommendations to the government on whether cases should be pursued before the Department of Justice or the Ombudsman.
President Marcos said the commission’s composition has yet to be finalized, but it is expected to include forensic investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and justices.
Malacañang, however, has yet to disclose the body’s full scope and membership.
Earlier, Magalong expressed interest in joining President Marcos Jr.’s planned independent commission to investigate alleged anomalous infrastructure projects in the Department of Public Works and Highways, though he has yet to receive a formal invitation.
