By Erika Mae P. Sinaking
THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Tuesday assured the public that it would not tolerate any cover-up in its investigation of irregularities in flood control projects.
“The ICI is after the truth, so definitely the commission will not allow any whitewashing,” ICI Executive Director Brian Keith F. Hosaka told reporters in a Viber message. “It is very crucial that the commission carefully untangles this web of corruption. This is not a simple modus.”
The statement followed strong calls from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines for transparency and accountability in the probe, warning that any attempt to conceal wrongdoing could further erode public trust.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has also pressed for transparency, saying the Senate’s own budget process would be “open in all stages.”
Despite growing pressure for openness, the ICI continued to hold closed-door hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those summoned this week included former Public Works Secretary and Senator Mark A. Villar, along with contractors Pacifico F. Discaya II and his wife Cezarah Rowena C. Discaya.
The ICI has rejected calls to livestream its sessions, citing the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and avoid “trial by publicity.” Mr. Hosaka said confidentiality was necessary to build solid cases for possible criminal, civil and administrative action.
Meanwhile, Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada has filed a perjury complaint against a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official who accused him of seeking kickbacks from flood control projects in Bulacan.
In a complaint-affidavit submitted to the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, Mr. Estrada charged Brice Ericson D. Hernandez, a former assistant district engineer in Bulacan, with making “malicious and fabricated statements under oath” before both the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House Committee on Public Works and Highways.
Mr. Hernandez, who is under “provisional acceptance” to the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program, allegedly gave false testimony linking Mr. Estrada to a 30% “kickback” from P355 million worth of flood control projects for 2025.
The senator said the claim was made on Sept. 9, a day after the Senate cited Mr. Hernandez in contempt — a motion Mr. Estrada himself supported.
The case adds another legal dimension to the government’s widening probe into alleged anomalies in DPWH’s flood control projects, which has drawn scrutiny from both houses of Congress and the ICI.
“These malicious statements were deliberate lies made under oath, intended to destroy my name and reputation,” Mr. Estrada said in a separate statement. “The evidence presented in subsequent hearings completely disproves his baseless accusations.”
The ICI and Congress are conducting separate investigations into corruption involving public works projects, including claims of budget manipulation and contractor collusion.
Mr. Hernandez earlier claimed in televised hearings that several lawmakers demanded kickbacks from project allocations — accusations that have roiled the DPWH and prompted denials from several senators.
The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office is expected to evaluate the complaint and determine whether probable cause exists to pursue charges.
