ICI's investigation ends on March 31

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Whereas mandated to analyze a decade of corruption throughout all public infrastructure, many of the complaints filed by the ICI up to now solely cowl flood management initiatives

MANILA, Philippines – After six months of operations, the Unbiased Fee for Infrastructure (ICI) — tasked with investigating multi-billion-peso infrastructure corruption over the previous 10 years — introduced that its operations will formally finish on March 31, three Tuesdays from now.

On Friday, March 13, the ICI turned over all paperwork, proof, and findings gathered throughout its investigation. The fee additionally handed over its investigative methodology to the Workplace of the Ombudsman “to facilitate the seamless transition of the Fee’s investigative work.”

Reyes mentioned in a press release on Friday that he really useful that the ICI “wind down its operations.”

“Inside this transient interval, the Fee has established the investigative framework and methodology that may now be adopted and replicated by statutory prosecutorial companies in inspecting the total universe of anomalous infrastructure initiatives,” Reyes mentioned.

Reyes identified that ICI solely functioned as a collegial physique or a three-person fee for less than 90 days. This comes after the resignation of ICI commissioners Rossana Fajardo and Babes Singson, who additionally beforehand served as public works secretary.

Reyes urged the Technical Working Group for Asset Restoration “to proceed its restitution efforts based mostly on the steerage supplied by the fee.”

Previous to the turnover, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned on Wednesday, March 11, that the ICI had accomplished “a lot of their work.”

“And the following a part of this course of is that they’ll ship these — the knowledge, they’ll ship it to DOJ and the Ombudsman, relying on which is the suitable physique,” he mentioned.

“Now, what’s going to occur afterwards is… allow us to see what else they’ll do, however for now, their transient has already been fulfilled,” the President added.

In the meantime, pending payments in each chambers of Congress search to ascertain the Unbiased Peoples’ Fee (IPC) and the Unbiased Fee Towards Infrastructure Corruption, each of which might have mandates much like the ICI. In December 2025, Marcos urged Congress to prioritize the IPC invoice.

ICI was created by Marcos by means of an government order in September 2025, in response to the flood management corruption scandal. Primarily based on Marcos’ government order, the ICI ceases to exist as soon as it completes its mandate, except the President dissolves it sooner.

All through its existence, the ICI confronted criticisms — together with from former commissioner Singson — over its perceived lack of energy and assets. It was additionally criticized for its supposed lack of independence and transparency.

Primarily based on Rappler’s overview of the ICI’s experiences and referrals to the Ombudsman, the fee’s job seems removed from over. Whereas mandated to analyze a decade of corruption throughout all public infrastructure, many of the complaints filed by the ICI up to now solely cowl flood management initiatives.