The Office of the Ombudsman said it will use the findings of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) as a springboard—but plans to go further—in pursuing corruption cases linked to the flood control scandal.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the ICI, which wrapped up its operations this month, recommended prosecution for only eight of the 13 lawmakers interviewed.

“But we are looking beyond that figure. Definitely, we are way ahead of them in some of their fields, like in the investigation of congressmen,” Remulla said.

The Ombudsman’s office will leverage the ICI’s findings to strengthen its cases, while also deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the massive trove of documents turned over by the commission.

Remulla emphasized that AI will serve only as a tool and will not dictate decisions.

“Their findings will be used by our teams to bolster the evidence that they have already,” he said.

He stressed that the thrust of the Office of the Ombudsman is to build cases that meet a higher standard of reasonable certainty for conviction and to be ready for continuous trial, citing delays in past high-profile cases such as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scandal.

“Here we want to tell the whole story in one burst, from start to continuous trial,” he said.

Remulla revealed that many investigations are already 70 to 80 percent complete and warned that while not all cases will involve plunder or malversation, they will still carry serious consequences. Restitution is also a key focus of the office, he added.

The Ombudsman also invited the ICI’s legal staff to apply for positions at his office, praising their work during the six-month probe.

“Remember, they started from scratch. I’m quite impressed with much of the output,” he said. “Many of the legal staff of the ICI, I’m asking them to apply here so we will not waste the institutional knowledge they already have.”

The ICI’s investigation, though brief, already yielded significant results, submitting nine referrals against lawmakers, contractors, and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials.

Its probe also led to the freezing of bank accounts and the seizure of assets totaling P24.7 billion.

Remulla said the ICI filled a crucial gap, but with the Ombudsman’s larger resources, the office is poised to produce even greater outcomes in the fight against corruption.