DOJ to withhold sensitive ICI flood control report details

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will take a cautious approach in disclosing information from the final report of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), citing the need to protect ongoing case build-up against possible respondents.

DOJ Acting Secretary Fredderick Vida said Wednesday, April 8, that certain portions of the report cannot yet be made public, particularly details that may affect current and prospective investigations.

“The sensitive information that will be used for case build up, of course we will not publish those information,” he said, warning that premature disclosure could compromise legal strategies.

“The things that can be shared to the public, of course we will. We have to remember that what we share in public, in the media is also being studied by the would-be respondents,” Vida added.

He said the DOJ is currently reviewing records submitted to the department, including cross-checking them with existing cases, and that more time is needed to determine which portions can be safely disclosed.

“We do acknowledge the right of the public to information. It is the right of the public to know what is in the ICI report. Definitely the obligation of the DOJ, we will not withhold anything as long as it is allowable,” he said.

“What we do not want is that they can read us or we can be anticipated,” he added.

The ICI turned over documents on the flood control probe to the DOJ on March 23 and to the Office of the Ombudsman on March 12.

The ICI’s documents include nine referrals recommending criminal and administrative charges against 65 individuals, including former and current lawmakers, Department of Public Works and Highways officials, Commission on Audit members, and contractors.

The DOJ has yet to decide on the timeline and manner of releasing the report, as evaluation of the documents remains ongoing.

“I cannot tell you now how or when. We are still going through the files,” Vida said.

Malacañang has said the decision to publicly release the ICI report rests with the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Senator Imee Marcos and other lawmakers have criticized the administration for not releasing the full final report, arguing that the public has a right to see findings on alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

Marcos urged complete disclosure of the ICI’s final report, citing Section 8 of Executive Order 94 — which created the ICI — as requiring the commission to publish its accomplishments and “such other relevant reports.”

Duterte-aligned lawmakers, including Reps. Paolo Duterte, Harold James Duterte, Omar Vincent Duterte, and Isidro Ungab, filed a resolution calling on Malacañang and the ICI to release all accomplishment reports and findings, noting that no major arrests or public disclosures had followed the commission’s work.