The Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) on Thursday met with government agencies to outline the government asset recovery efforts from personalities implicated in anomalous flood control projects.
The agencies in attendance include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Justice (DOJ), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Insurance Commission (IC), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Commission on Audit (COA), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Registration Authority (LRA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
“It’s a whole-of-government approach to recover assets in the control of persons responsible for the anomalous flood control projects,” ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said in a press briefing after a closed-door meeting.
He added that representatives of various government agencies agreed to form a technical working group that would regularly meet “to update each other and share information that may fast-track the restitution of assets.”
Hosaka, meanwhile, bared that the AMLC has frozen PHP5 billion in approximately 2,800 accounts.
“Yung gusto natin bawiin (What we want, which is to recover [assets],) is a moving target, (but) rough estimate right now, according to AMLC, frozen accounts, PHP5 billion in 2,800 accounts.”
“As we go along, it’s going to be bigger,” he added, noting that after freezing the accounts, the government will then justify the forfeiture.
The ICI spokesperson said that in some instances, some agencies may act without going to court, citing the Bureau of Customs’ effort to auction surrendered luxury vehicles.
“In their own charters that form these agencies, they have authorities to recover assets,” he said.
Hosaka added that they may also look into supposed links between the Discaya couple and CLTG Corp., a firm owned by the family of Senator Bong Go.
“We’ll look into that. If there is a need to invite Senator Bong, then we will invite him,” he said.
