Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno stated that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has fulfilled its mandate and should now hand over the investigation into corruption in flood control projects to the Office of the Ombudsman. He warned that simultaneous probes by multiple bodies could create confusion and erode public confidence. Puno praised the new leadership of the Ombudsman under Jesus Crispin Remulla for restoring credibility.
At a press conference, Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno, chairman of the National Unity Party (NUP), said the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has completed its task in probing anomalies in flood control projects. “In my personal view, yes, it has,” he replied when asked if the ICI had finished its work.
Puno noted that while the previous Ombudsman, Samuel Martires, who retired in July last year, faced suspicions and controversies such as blocking the disclosure of Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), the current Ombudsman, Jesus Crispin Remulla, has regained high credibility and public support through his firmness. “The previous ombudsman is under suspicion of many things and has controversial decision like disallowing the opening of SALN. Our ombudsman today, I think, has high credibility,” he said.
He cautioned that permitting the ICI and Ombudsman to investigate concurrently could lead to confusion and undermine public trust in the findings. “The problem with having two or three bodies that investigate, when you have parallel jurisdiction, or concurrent jurisdiction, if the finding of one appears unclear, while the other is not fair, there will be question,” Puno stated.
Under the Constitution, the Ombudsman is the designated protector for such issues, Puno emphasized. “While under our Constitution, there is only one who is pointed as guard to that kind of problem and that is the ombudsman,” he maintained. As a presidential agency focused on the executive branch, the ICI should now defer to the Ombudsman. “For me, let’s follow the Constitution first. Besides, the ICI has already done its investigation,” he added.
