00:00Making good on his promise, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced the creation of an impartial body to exhaustively probe the shenanigans and systemic corruption ingrained in the flood mitigation project mess.
00:12Dubbed the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, or ICI, the body will consist of three members who will soon be named by the president as our Kenneth Paciente reports.
00:20After 48 hours, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 94, creating an independent body that will investigate the alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
00:35It will be called the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, or ICI.
00:39The commission will be led by a chairperson and two members who will be chosen for their competence and integrity.
00:45It is stated that its mandate includes conducting hearings, investigations, gathering of evidence, intelligence reports, and other information against government officials and other individuals involved in irregularities not only in flood control projects, but in all infrastructure projects across the country carried out in the past 10 years.
01:04Based on the investigation of the ICI, it may recommend the filing of appropriate criminal, civil, or administrative cases to the Office of the President, Ombudsman, DOJ, and CSC to hold accountable those found guilty of corruption.
01:19It may also recommend to the concerned government agencies remedies and legislative measures to ensure the proper implementation of ongoing flood control and infrastructure projects.
01:28Included in the powers of the ICI is the conduct of hearings, taking the testimony of those involved in the issue, and weighing the evidence obtained, the issuance of subpoenas for witnesses and the acquisition of documents needed for fact-finding and investigation processes, informing a witness or an individual with knowledge of the crime being investigated by the ICI that they may apply for the witness protection, security, and benefit program.
01:54The ICI also has the power to recommend the DOJ if an individual can be made a state witness.
02:01It may also request or obtain information and documents related to investigations conducted by both houses of Congress.
02:08It may also issue recommendations or requests for whole departure orders.
02:12It can also recommend or request the freezing or seizure of assets, funds, deposits, and properties of an individual proven to be connected to anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects,
02:22while the investigation is ongoing.
02:25It will regularly provide information to authorities for speedy prosecution, recommending to authorities if necessary the preemptive suspension of government officials to prevent the tampering of evidence.
02:36It is also stated in the EO that individuals who refuse or fail to comply with the subpoena without just cause may be subject to administrative disciplinary action.
02:45The secretariat of the ICI will be formed to be led by an executive director to be appointed by the president with the rank of undersecretary.
02:53All government agencies under the executive branch including the DOJ, NBI, National Prosecution Service, DILG, PNP, among others, are directed to assist the ICI.
03:03The ICI shall report to the office of the president monthly.
03:07Meanwhile, the DBM is directed to find the necessary funds for the implementation of the EO.
03:11Kenneth Paciente from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
