Malacañang called for calm and patience after protesters stormed the headquarters of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday, Oct. 24, to denounce what they claimed was slow progress and the lack of transparency in the government’s corruption probe.

In her press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace understands public frustration but maintained that the ICI must be allowed to perform its work independently.

“Hanggang nandiyan po at may nagtatrabaho at ang intensyon naman po ay maganda para po mapanagot ang dapat mapanagot, hayaan na lang po natin na umandar iyong sistema (As long as people are working and the intention is to hold the guilty accountable, we should let the system and procedure take their course),” she said.

“Huwag po tayong masyadong maging negatibo (Let us not be too negative),” she added.

Castro said the Palace recognizes the concerns raised by demonstrators but urged them to appreciate that due process takes time.

“Marami po kasing mga kaso… at hindi po dapat siguro mainip ang ating mga kababayan (There are many cases, and our countrymen should not be impatient),” she said, noting that the commission’s ongoing work has already produced results.

Asked about Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s proposal to add an opposition representative to the ICI to promote checks and balances, Castro stressed that the Palace will not interfere in its composition or policymaking.

“Depende na po iyan sa ICI (That depends on the ICI),” she said.

“Hindi naman po ang Pangulo ang magdadagdag ng miyembro (It’s not the President who will add members),” she added.

Castro reiterated that the ICI operates as an autonomous body and that its decisions on structure, staffing, and internal rules rest solely with its leadership.

The Palace Press Officer added that the commission already has an executive director in charge of day-to-day operations and internal management. The ICI executive director is former Supreme Court spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka.

“May executive director na po kasi na nai-assign sa ICI kaya sila na po ang dapat gumawa rito (An executive director has already been assigned to the ICI, so it’s up to them to handle such matters),” she said.

The ICI was created through Executive Order No. 94 in September to probe alleged anomalies in flood control and infrastructure projects. It has since issued asset-freeze orders, implemented immigration lookout bulletins, and recommended the filing of charges against several officials.

The protests outside the ICI office came as the commission faced calls for greater transparency from civil society groups and business organizations following its ongoing investigation into what has been described as “massive and unprecedented corruption” in public works projects.