House Speaker Faustino Dy III assured the public on Thursday that the entire House of Representatives will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigations into widespread corruption in flood control projects, even as the probe has implicated several incumbent and former lawmakers.
Speaker Dy’s statement comes after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officially recommended administrative and criminal charges against eight former and current legislators—seven of whom are still in office—for their alleged links to construction firms that secured anomalous flood-control contracts.
In a public address, Dy emphasized that accountability is a duty for all public servants, stating that House members “—whether being investigated or not—are ready to cooperate with any proceeding while continuing to fulfill their roles as legislators.” The Speaker maintained that the probes would not disrupt the legislative agenda of the 318-seat chamber.
The Office of the Ombudsman, led by Jesus Crispin Remulla, has received the ICI and DPWH recommendations and is set to review them for preliminary investigation. Remulla warned earlier this week that the current batch of recommended charges may only be the beginning, estimating that around 15 more House members could ultimately be found to have similar links to construction companies.
The Ombudsman’s projection suggests that potentially over 10 percent of the Congress could be affected by the widening scandal, which involves irregular, substandard, and non-existent flood-control projects.
Several high-profile figures, including members of the House, have already appeared before the ICI, which has conducted both livestreamed and closed-door sessions as part of its proceedings. Dy’s predecessor, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, is among those who have participated in the ICI’s investigation.