Palace welcomes SC ruling upholding creation of ICI on flood control probe
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Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision dismissing a petition that questioned the constitutionality of the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which is investigating alleged irregularities in government flood control projects.
Associate Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan, in a resolution penned by him, said that while direct recourse to the Supreme Court is allowed in exceptional cases, the petition failed to cite any compelling reason to bypass lower courts.
Following the ruling, Palace press officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the decision justified President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s move to create the ICI to investigate anomalous government infrastructure deals, particularly flood control projects.
“Sa naging desisyon ng Supreme Court patungkol sa pagbuo ng ICI ay naipakita ng Pangulo sa taumbayan ang maganda niyang hangarin para magkaroon ng malalimang pag iimbestiga sa mga maanomalyang flood control projects,” she said in an ambush interview on Wednesday at Malacañang Palace.
“Obligasyon ng adminstrasyong ito na linisin ang gobyerno mula sa pag aabuso sa pondo ng bayan kaya sinimulan ng Pangulo ito sa pamamagitan ng Executive Order No. 94,” she added.
Marcos created the ICI on 11 September 2025 as a fact-finding body mandated to investigate alleged corruption, irregularities, and misuse of public funds in flood control and related infrastructure projects over the past 10 years, amid mounting concerns that have eroded public trust.
Meanwhile, lawyer Eldrige Marvin Aceron on Wednesday filed a Petition for Full Disclosure of the draft committee report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the flood control projects investigation, invoking the constitutional right to information on matters of public concern under Article III, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution.
The petition was filed after media outlets published details of a leaked draft report on the night of 3 February, which showed that the Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Panfilo Lacson, recommended the filing of plunder and malversation of public funds charges against several sitting and former senators and other public officials.
Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Joseph Victor Ejercito, and Win Gatchalian later withdrew their signatures from the draft report, prompting the petition’s demand that all three be required to explain their actions in writing.
Aceron also sought the release of the full, unredacted draft report; the preservation of all versions of the document, including the originally signed copy prior to the withdrawals; a requirement for Zubiri, Ejercito, and Gatchalian to submit written explanations; the furnishing of a certified true copy to the Senate Ethics Committee for the pending complaints involving Senators Francis Escudero and Ejercito; and the inhibition of Ejercito from all Ethics Committee proceedings involving Escudero.
“The petition invokes Article III, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution: ‘The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. This right is self-executory. It does not require enabling legislation. It may be invoked directly by any citizen. The investigation was conducted in aid of legislation and in the public interest. The findings involve allegations of plunder of public funds intended for flood control infrastructure that protects Filipino lives and property. The Filipino people, in whose name this investigation was conducted, are entitled to its results,’” the petition read.
