President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has given his full and unwavering support to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) as it pursues its crucial investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects and other infrastructure endeavors.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed Friday that the necessary funding is now fully in place, reinforcing the President’s commitment to eradicating corruption in public works.
Undersecretary Castro announced that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO)—the key government document authorizing fund disbursement—as early as September 2025, the same month President Marcos established the ICI.
“The President has not been lacking; everything the ICI needs, all the assistance that can come from the President, is being provided,” Castro stated during a Palace press briefing.
While noting a minor initial delay in implementing the Modified Disbursement System (MDS), Castro confirmed: “The funds are now with them.”
The ICI was created through Executive Order No. 94, signed on September 11, 2025, as a dedicated fact-finding body. Its mandate is to investigate alleged corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects spanning the last ten years.
Castro emphasized the body’s specific role: “The ICI was created as a fact-finding commission… Its purpose is to help the Ombudsman or the DOJ (Department of Justice) concentrate, investigate, and gather documents, facts, and data.”
The ICI is tasked with compiling concrete evidence against those involved in anomalous and “ghost” flood control projects, complementing the efforts of existing prosecutorial bodies.
When asked about strengthening institutions that investigate corruption, Castro reiterated the President’s belief that all agencies mandated to pursue graft must be empowered. “All institutions with the power to investigate should be strong and have the appropriate authority,” she asserted.
President Marcos Jr. initiated the sweeping investigation into systemic corruption in infrastructure projects following his strong denouncement of irregularities during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, 2025.
Following recommendations from the ICI and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Office of the Ombudsman has already filed graft and malversation cases against several individuals implicated in the scandal.
