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(From left) Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr., AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., ICI Chairman Andres Reyes Jr., DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, and PNP Acting Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez in a group photo after their meeting in at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame to discuss ongoing investigations related to ghost flood control projects. (Courtesy: Philippine National Police)
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) said on Wednesday it is prioritizing the development of cases on 80 projects linked to top flood control contractors earlier cited by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The ICI, together with the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) held a high command conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City to fine tune efforts and create a unified action plan for the investigation, data gathering, and prosecution of individuals and entities behind anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects.
“Out of the 421 ghost projects, we are prioritizing the 80 projects involving 15 or 18 contractors mentioned by BBM (Marocs),” ICI special adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. told reporters.
In a separate interview, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said almost 40 individuals are expected to be detained before Christmas in connection with anomalous projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro.
“So right now, I think four or five cases have already been filed with the Ombudsman. Those will be the first ones to face jail — the cases in Bulacan involving Discaya, Hernandez, Alcantara, and others; and the Mindoro cases which the Ombudsman also announced yesterday and will likely be filed before the Sandiganbayan in the coming days, including former Congressman Zaly Co, Sunwest, and also the Discaya group,” Dizon said.
Azurin said the ICI will also scrutinize flood control projects in the Ilocos region and Cebu — areas heavily affected by recent typhoons.
The ICI aims to visit the Ilocos region this week, while Cebu, which suffered widespread and deadly flooding due to Typhoon “Tino”, will be inspected by Sunday.
Azurin added that the ICI also conducted an inspection in Davao last week.
“We hope we can build cases — definitely. Right now, we are securing the bid documents with the help of the CIDG and the NBI because they have subpoena power. We need to study those bid documents and compare them with the actual project implementation,” he said.
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