يحاول ذهب - حر
Legislated probe body
November 21, 2025
|The Philippine Star
It’s no wonder, the ICI’s creation was questioned for the third time before the SC.
Since its creation almost three months ago, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) have so far come out with five interim reports. The ICI submitted its first-ever interim report last Sept. 29 to the Office of the Ombudsman. In a 32-page report, the three-man ICI chaired by retired Supreme Court (SC) associate justice Andres Reyes Jr. flagged possible anomalies in a P289.5-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The ICI asked the anti-graft body to determine “appropriate charges” to be filed against 18 public officials who included Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and district engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) implicated on the alleged “ghost” flood control projects.
Acting on the ICI complaint, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla officially filed formal charges against Co and his other co-accused DPWH officials before the Sandiganbayan last Tuesday. One count of malversation and two counts of graft were lodged against Co and DPWH Region 4 officials and executives of construction firm Sunwest Inc. owned by Co's family.
In its second interim report, the ICI recommended to the Ombudsman “appropriate charges” to be filed against Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada as well as Co and DPWH Bulacan district engineers for their alleged roles in a kickback scheme involving flood control projects in the province.
It was on the third, fourth and fifth interim report referrals that the ICI recommended the filing of administrative charges against resigned DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, his former undersecretaries Roberto Bernardo and Maria Catalina Cabral and 8 other DPWH officials. They were charged for grave misconduct, gross dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, or violations of the Anti-Graft Law.
هذه القصة من طبعة November 21, 2025 من The Philippine Star.
اشترك في Magzter GOLD للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة، وأكثر من 9000 مجلة وصحيفة.
هل أنت مشترك بالفعل؟ تسجيل الدخول
المزيد من القصص من The Philippine Star
The Philippine Star
JETOUR achieves 2 million sales in 7 years, opening a new chapter in global electric hybrid off-road vehicles
On October 30, 2025, JETOUR Auto marked a major milestone in its brand journey — surpassing two million cumulative sales since its debut in 2018.
2 mins
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
Zaldy's luxury vehicles seized
Eight luxury vehicles allegedly owned by former Ako Bicol party-list congressman Zaldy Co were seized by the police and the Bureau of Customs at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Thursday night.
2 mins
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
BBM orders PhilHealth to waive interest on unpaid contributions
The Marcos administration will implement a general amnesty of penalties for unpaid contributions of employers, business owners and self-employed members to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
1 min
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
Unprogrammed funds challenged before SC
The constitutionality of unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 national budget faces a challenge before the Supreme Court (SC) for allegedly being repugnant to the Charter and violating constitutional principles on public finance, budget accountability and Congress' power of the purse.
4 mins
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
KATYA FRICKE LICHAUCO: DESIGNING ONE THOUGHTFUL PIECE AT A TIME
For Katya Fricke Li-chauco, fashion has always been quietly stitched into her life.
2 mins
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
Marcos off to UAE on Jan. 12
President Marcos will embark on a one-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates next week, Malacañang said yesterday.
1 mins
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
Rains, cloudy weather to greet devotees in traslacion
Cloudy skies with scattered rains are expected over parts of the country today as millions of devotees take part in the annual traslacion of the Black Nazarene, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
2 mins
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
Remolona shrugs off peso slide
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is not inclined to mount a forceful defense of the peso despite renewed market pressure and talk of the exchange rate testing the 60-to-the-dollar level, according to BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr.
2 mins
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
Go joins BSP Monetary Board
Finance Secretary Frederick Go has formally joined the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' Monetary Board after President Marcos designated him as the Cabinet representative to the BSP's policy-making body.
1 min
January 09, 2026
The Philippine Star
Trust in action: The SEC’s firm and future-focused agenda for 2026
In the first part of this series, we examined the SEC’s aggressive push to lower the cost of doing business and streamline the “One SEC” digital registration system. But as any investor knows, efficiency means little without trust.
4 mins
January 09, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
