Gov’t to continue asset recovery despite possible ICI closure

GOVERNMENT asset recovery efforts will remain operational despite uncertainty over the possible closure of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), officials said on Tuesday, as the ICI-Technical Working Group (TWG) resumed its meetings.

ICI Special Adviser and lead investigator Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr. said the TWG is expected to “survive” regardless of the future structure of the ICI, as inter-agency coordination will remain critical, particularly when cases are referred to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“I think so. Definitely. Because if you look at it, with or without the ICI, when a case is referred to the Ombudsman, it’s like a switch, like a trigger,” Mr. Azurin told a press briefing.

“For the government agencies assisting the ICI, we advise everyone to keep working so that we can deliver the results expected by the public, including the recovered assets that may form part of our investigations,” he added.

Chris Noel A. Bendijo, deputy chief of staff at the Bureau of Customs (BoC), added that the resignation of two commissioners has not affected TWG operations. He credited the systematic and well-defined framework under the chairmanship of Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” A. Paraiso, for ensuring asset recovery work remains “ongoing and functional.”

“Each agency clearly defines its role in asset recovery. Even in the absence of two commissioners at ICI, the work of TWG continues,” Mr. Bendijo said. He also noted that memoranda of agreement among agencies are being finalized, alongside the development of a centralized database and framework agreement to prevent duplication and resolve jurisdictional conflicts.

Mr. Bendijo said the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has so far frozen P21.2 billion in assets — including bank accounts, e-wallets, insurance policies, motor vehicles, and air assets — linked to the personalities involved in the ongoing flood control investigation.

“To be very clear with the figures, we will create a master list of these assets, including those sold at auction and those subject to forfeiture, such as those currently held by the ICI,” he explained.

Currently, eight vehicles are in the custody of the ICI compound allegedly linked to former lawmaker Elizaldy S. Co. These seized vehicles are also part of asset recovery and ongoing investigations, according to Mr. Azurin.

“Through this detailed search, we may be able to determine whether items were misclassified, misdeclared, or if different import entries were used with varying declarations,” Mr. Bendijo added. “Again that will be determined, that’s ongoing work for now.”

The meeting on Tuesday was attended by representatives from the AMLC, Armed Forces of the Philippines, BoC, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Justice, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Office of the Ombudsman, and the Philippine National Police — Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, among others.

In a statement, the ICI said the agencies also discussed the development of the Asset Recovery Coordination and Management Dashboard System, a platform designed to consolidate information on assets subject to recovery, focusing on properties owned by individuals and entities with pending court cases, as well as those referred by the ICI and DPWH.

Agencies with regulatory or supervisory authority over monetary, real estate, and movable assets will be integrated into the dashboard to ensure alignment on frozen or recovered assets. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking