The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against some of the country’s top political figures, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva, as well as former Senators Bong Revilla and Nancy Binay, in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged multi-billion peso irregularities in flood control projects.
The ICI’s letter to Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, dated October 8, was signed by ICI Chair Andres Reyes, who said the order aims to prevent potential obstruction of the ongoing probe and ensure accountability among those implicated.
Initially, Senator Villanueva’s name was omitted from the first version of the ICI’s ILBO request. However, the commission issued a corrected version an hour later, confirming that the lawmaker is indeed covered by the order.
Aside from Romualdez, Escudero, Estrada, Villanueva, Revilla, and Binay, the ILBO also includes several lawmakers, government officials, and private contractors allegedly linked to questionable public works projects. Among them are:
Commissioner Mario G. Lipana, Marilou Laurio-Lipana, Undersecretary Trygve L. Olaivar, Carlene Villa, businessman Maynard Ngu, and Representatives Roman Romulo, James “Jojo” Ang, Patrick Michael “PM” Vargas, Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde, Nicanor “Nikki” Briones, Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro, Florida “Rida” Robes, Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Benjamin “Benjie” Agarao, Florencio Gabriel “Bem” Noel, Leody “Ode” Tarriela, Reynante “Reynan” Arogancia, Marvin Rillo, Teodorico “Teodoro” Haresco Jr., Antonieta Eudela, Dean Assistio, and Marivic Co-Pilar, as well as several district engineers, including Loida Busa “Bogs” Magalong, Ramon Devanadera, Johnny Protesta Jr., and Arturo Gonzales Jr.
In his letter, Reyes stated that preliminary findings — conducted with the cooperation of relevant government agencies — indicate that these individuals may be involved in “ghost projects and substandard implementations” of flood control works.
“An initial investigation… puts the subjects in a relevant position that makes them inevitable personalities during the fact-finding process,” Reyes wrote.
The ICI also requested the Bureau of Immigration to immediately report any attempt by the named individuals to travel abroad, emphasizing that such measures are necessary to “enable the Commission to proceed without delay and hold those liable accountable to the Filipino people.”
The ICI is currently conducting a series of hearings as part of its investigation into what is shaping up to be one of the country’s most controversial corruption scandals in recent years — involving billions of pesos allegedly lost to fraudulent or substandard flood control projects nationwide.