Cebu: The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) may soon visit Cebu in the coming weeks to investigate the failure of flood control projects in the province, despite significant funding allocated for these initiatives. “Sa Central Cebu tayo, Cebu City and Mandaue, basta yung mga badly-affected. Titingnan natin bakit ganun yung nangyari despite sa napakalaki nung funding na dinala doon (We will go to Central Cebu, Cebu City and Mandaue, or those badly-affected. We will study how the flooding happened despite the large budget allocated there),” ICI special adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. stated in an interview with reporters on Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Azurin noted that Cebu officials reported the implementation of up to PHP26 billion in flood control projects in the province. He also mentioned that the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been tasked with securing documents for the ICI. “Through the help of the CIDG and the NBI kasi meron silang subpoena power. So, we need to study yung bid documents. Ibabangga namin yun sa actual implementation ng mga projects (because they have subpoena power. We need to study the bid documents and compare them with the actual implementation of the projects),” he explained.
Azurin made these statements following a High Command Conference convened by the ICI with representatives from key government agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of individuals accountable for anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects. The coordination meeting briefed relevant agencies on their respective duties, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s examination of taxes paid by the 16 top contractors who secured the majority of the ghost projects.
He further highlighted that out of the 421 projects initially identified by the ICI and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the ICI is prioritizing the 80 projects involving contractors mentioned by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Meanwhile, the ICI announced that the scheduled appearance of former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo before the body has been postponed at the request of his counsel. “The counsel has further mentioned that former undersecretary Bernardo is ready and willing to appear before the Commission on November 17. No reason was provided for the request to postpone the former DPWH undersecretary’s initially scheduled hearing,” the ICI said in a media advisory.
