BAGUIO CITY — Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong expressed frustration over questions about his role as adviser to the Inter-Agency Council for Investigation (ICI), saying he resigned as a preemptive move to protect his honor.

On 26 September 2025, Magalong submitted his resignation as ICI adviser, a position tasked to investigate corruption and irregularities in government projects. His decision came after Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro announced that the Palace was reviewing his designation, citing conflict of interest and questioning his participation in inspections.

"They don’t need to remove me anymore. I have honor—that cannot be bought at any price," Magalong said. He added that he would rather step down before facing what he described as a “reassignment” meant to avoid public suspicion.

The conflict, according to Magalong, stemmed from his participation in field inspections of alleged ghost projects. "I had no other goal except to help in the investigation and to expose the truth. Even as an adviser to the ICI, I thought it best to join the field inspections for actual validation. What’s wrong with that?" he said.

With the administration openly questioning his role, Magalong said he no longer saw his position as tenable. "What else is there for me to do if they don’t trust me? Why place me there in the first place?" he asked.

He further criticized the government’s response, saying it diverts from the larger fight against corruption. "They would rather remove me than go after the masterminds of this grand robbery. I don’t get it," he said.