ICI, DOJ ready cases over flood control project mess

At least 15 to 20 cases related to the anomalous flood control projects are set to be referred to the Ombudsman in the next two to three weeks, Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) officials said.

- By JOSEPH PEDRAJAS and JEFFREY DAMICOG

VOICE OF THE YOUTH -- Students of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde stage a walkout protest on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, taking to the streets to voice their concern on various campus and national issues, like corruption in government.

(Contributed photo)

Likewise, the Department of Justice (DOJ) bared that it is eyeing the filing of cases regarding the flood control projects mess in the coming weeks.

ICI Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin and Executive Director Brian Hosaka announced in a press conference on Monday, Oct. 13, said those who will be initially charged may not include any high ranking government officials yet.

This developed after the body discovered 421 ghost or non-existent flood control projects from the 8,000 infrastructure projects that it had already inspected.

Despite the multiple times that several ranking government officials were name-dropped and linked to the anomalies during the recent congressional hearings, for now, only contractors and district engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) may be charged, according to Azurin.

"As of now, we don't see any liable government officials yet," Azurin said when asked about the identities of any accountable ranking government officials.

Part of this, he said, was because only contractors and district engineers served as signatories of the project.

"But definitely, investigation starts from the bottom, at the district level. We'll follow the paper trail afterward," Azurin added.

Hosaka said the ICI relies on evidence gathered in recommending charges against any individual.

So far, 8,000 out of 29,800 flood control projects from 2016-2025 have been inspected by the DPWH and its partner agencies, such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev).