‘Is she afraid of something being revealed in the ongoing investigation, thus she is trying to discredit the integrity of ICI (Independent Commission for Infrastructure)?’
Speaking in Filipino, Palace press officer Claire Castro has asked this as a response to Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement that she believes that the government formed ICI to ‘legitimize’ its narratives on corruption Duterte, in an interview in Manaoag, Pangasinan, earlier this Saturday, said she is wondering why the ICI conducts investigations on infrastructure anomalies in the first place.
‘The Office of the President has billions of confidential funds. The office can do case buildup using the resources of the Office of the President,’ she said.
Responding to this, Castro emphasized that the members of the ICI are all experts and have integrity, even mentioning that they are not political personalities.
‘Pity the people who are part of the government but do not help the government and the people. Pity the people who are supposed to be public servants who only speak speculations to discredit the government,’ Castro said. ‘What does the vice president know about presenting real evidence and not fake and fabricated ones? His concocted stories are worthless. They should not be understood anymore,’ she said.
The ICI was established through President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signing of Executive Order No. 94 on September 11, 2025.
It is mandated to investigate anomalies in government flood control and related projects in the last 10 years.