PAO deploys lawyers to assist ICI probe on flood control scandal
Eight lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) will assist the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) in fast-tracking its ongoing investigation into the alleged flood control corruption scandal.
PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta confirmed that her office immediately responded to the call of ICI Chairman and former Justice Andres Reyes Jr., saying the PAO “recognizes the urgency and importance of the ICI’s mandate to promote transparency, accountability, and integrity in infrastructure development.”
She said the agency’s participation aligns with PAO’s “unwavering commitment to justice and the protection of the public interest.”
Lawyer Nazario Bancoro Jr. will head the contingent, joined by Demiteer Huerta as assistant team leader, along with Jose Noel Hilario, Marlowe Doms Tajon, Jan Karlo S. Lopez, Jeffrey Hilario, Lourdes Sorreta, and Jamor Tremor.
According to Deputy Chief Public Attorney Ana Lisa Soriano, the eight PAO lawyers will render services at the ICI from Tuesday to Friday each week for six months beginning 14 October 2025. To allow them to manage their existing caseloads, they will report to the PAO central office every Monday for case preparation, filing, and other documentation.
“We trust that this arrangement will not only address your commission’s immediate need for legal expertise but also contribute meaningfully to the effective discharge of its investigatory and administrative functions, especially during this formative period,” Soriano said in her reply to Reyes’ request for assistance.
Soriano added that while PAO wanted to send more lawyers, resource constraints prevented it from doing so.
“Our office has consistently endeavored to respond to the ever-increasing demand for legal services nationwide, even as we await the approval of additional plantilla positions and budgetary support to address these growing needs,” she explained.
She also noted that no new plantilla positions for non-lawyer personnel have been created, posing further challenges to daily operations.
“Notwithstanding these limitations, we assure you of our unwavering support and readiness to assist in any way we can,” Soriano said.
Reyes, in his earlier letter to PAO, emphasized that given “the gravity of the national issue involved,” referring to the multibillion-peso flood control projects under investigation, “the knowledge and expertise of any PAO member is indispensable to the matters under investigation by the commission.”