Palace says bill to institutionalize ICI needs careful review to avoid overlap

Malacañang on Tuesday said that the proposal to pass a law institutionalizing the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) requires careful study to prevent overlapping functions with existing government agencies.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said she agrees with former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay’s view that there may be no need for additional legislation to strengthen the ICI, since institutions like the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman already have the authority to investigate and prosecute erring public officials.

“On what he said that there is no need to create another independent commission to investigate the anomalous flood control projects — former SolGen Hilbay has a point,” Castro, who is also a lawyer, said during a Palace press briefing.

“If a new independent body is created, it might only lead to redundancy,” she added.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Hilbay argued that the government already has full institutional capacity and authority to pursue officials involved in alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

Castro clarified that the ICI, created through Executive Order No. 94 signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on September 11, merely assists the DOJ and the Ombudsman by gathering documents and evidence related to the reported anomalies.

While Malacañang said it would defer to Congress on whether to institutionalize the ICI through legislation, Castro stressed that any proposal must undergo thorough review.

“It depends on what is written in the bill. This will be studied carefully once submitted to Congress,” Castro said when asked if the Palace supports the measure.

“If lawmakers pass it into law, the President will respect the constitutional process. That is the job of our legislators — to pass laws,” she added.