Lawmaker says Marcos view on ICI no surprise

Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s stance on the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) was predictable.

In a radio interview, Diokno said Marcos’ statement that the ICI is nearing the end of its mandate came as no surprise. He also noted that the proposed Independent Commission Against Infrastructure Corruption under House Bill No. 4453, filed in Congress in September 2025, has yet to be enacted into law.

“From the very beginning, we already saw that the ICI lacked sufficient authority. It has no contempt power and no full subpoena power,” Diokno said in Filipino.

Diokno also questioned the slow progress of the proposed measure.

“We clearly saw the need to first establish an independent commission created by Congress, supported with sufficient authority to endorse cases to the Office of the Ombudsman and other government agencies, especially since the evidence is already nearly complete and solid,” he said.

As a member of the minority, Diokno said he would continue pushing for the passage of the bill.

He stressed that a key obligation of any state witness is full cooperation with authorities, including the return of stolen funds.

“What impeachment means is that our highest officials can be held accountable. Whatever complaints may be filed, we will, of course, first examine their contents and determine whether they are supported by evidence,” he said, referring to the impeachment process.

Diokno added that if the evidence is found to be sufficient and accountability is warranted, they will pursue it, as they have done in the past.