Disaster survivors and progressive groups held a Black Friday protest in front of the gate of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to condemn the alleged whitewashing and cover-ups in the ICI’s investigation into the infrastructure anomalies across the country.
The groups arrived at the ICI building at around 9:40 a.m. on Friday. Tension immediately surrounded the area as security personnel halted them from entering the gate.
The groups condemned the ICI’s alleged slow investigation and its alleged lack of transparency.
According to Eufemia ‘Mimi’ Doringo, spokesperson of group called People Surge, it has already been two months since the investigation into corruption in flood control projects was conducted, but until now, no one has been arrested and held accountable.
‘While ruthless officials steal billions of pesos from the public treasury, millions of poor people are still homeless, unemployed, and they continue to drown in poverty. It is not only climate change that is killing us, but also corruption,’ Doringo said.
‘We will continue to protest while no arrest is done, and until the public’s money is returned,’ she stressed.
The ICI is currently investigating the alleged anomalies in infrastructure projects nationwide./apl