Malacañang on Friday clarified that the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) has already received ₱41 million for its 2025 operations, addressing concerns raised about the body’s lack of resources months after its creation to probe flood control anomalies.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued a special allotment release order (SARO) earlier than expected.
“Ayon po sa DBM, iyong SARO po ay as early as September ay nandiyan na po,” Castro told reporters.
She noted that the only holdup stemmed from internal implementation procedures.
“Ang natatangi lamang po siguro nagkaroon ng konting delay ay iyong pag-i-implement… at iyong modified disbursement system. At ngayon po ay maitatanong po natin, iyong pondo po ay nasa kanila na,” she added.
Former DPWH Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson, who recently resigned as an ICI member, had lamented the commission’s lack of budget and enabling law, saying these limitations hindered its anti-corruption work.
President Bongbong Marcos created the ICI in September through Executive Order No. 94, establishing it as a non-partisan fact-finding body to investigate alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
In November, the Office of the President approved the commission’s ₱41 million allocation for 2025, along with 172 plantilla positions to support its operations.