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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider ICI defends grant of executive session to Atayde, Asistio

ICI defends grant of executive session to Atayde, Asistio

Published Nov 25, 2025 08:39 pm

At A Glance

  • The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has defended its granting of the executive session requests made by Quezon City 1st district Rep. Arjo Atayde and Caloocan City 3rd district Rep. Dean Asistio during their respective hearings on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has defended its granting of the executive session requests made by Quezon City 1st district Rep. Arjo Atayde and Caloocan City 3rd district Rep. Dean Asistio during their respective hearings on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
According to the body, giving in to the requests of the two solons were based on legal and valid grounds.
On Tuesday, reporters covering the ICI naturally sought an explanation why the went the executive session route despite the much-anticipated livestreaming of the hearings of Atayde and Asistio as per the body's new ICI guidelines.
This precedent could lead to all resource persons requesting a closed-door session, which would subsequently defeat the purpose of a transparent flood control projects hearing.
In a rather vague response sent to reporters,  ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka simply maintained that ICI's guidelines on livestreaming "are clear".
"The general rule is that the hearings of the ICI should be livestreamed. However, the resource persons would have the option to ask for an executive session grounded on factual and legal bases," he said.
According to Hosaka, prior to the two lawmakers' scheduled appearance, both of them "requested that their testimonies be taken in executive session due to sensitive and private information which may be divulged during their testimonies".
"Since the live-streaming guidelines were published today and thus already effective, the lawmakers were again asked at the start of their respective testimonies to confirm their earlier request for an executive session, to which both replied in the affirmative," he said, citing the published copy of the guidelines on the country's official gazette website.
"To request for an executive session based on legal and valid grounds is an option available to resource persons pursuant to Section 1.2 of the ICI live-streaming guidelines. Nevertheless despite this, the resource person may waive the option to go on executive session and instead proceed with the live-streaming of his/her testimony."
"However, in today’s hearing, the lawmakers opted that their testimonies be in executive session," he added.
Under ICI's new guidelines, hearings on flood control projects must be generally livestreamed, unless requested by the resource person to be held in an executive session.
ICI may approve the request on the basis of concerns to national security, threat to the resource person's life or interference to other agencies' investigation.
ICI has yet to clarify which specific concern were raised by Atayde and Asitio. But Atayde, in an earlier interview with the media, said the executive session was actually offered to him by the Commission. Asistio, for his part,  said he did not want a trial by publicity.
ICI to ask Asistio to publish his affidavits
Meanwhile, Hosaka said he would ask Asistio if he was willing to make his affidavit available to the public upon reporters' request.
"We are just being careful and making sure of our actions [that's why we have to ask him]," Hosaka explained.
"We will confirm with our records and Cong. Asistio and we will release ASAP," he added.
Two more resource persons request executive sessions
Meanwhile, two more resource persons are set to attend ICI's hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 26, but they have also requested for executive sessions.
Quezon 3rd district Rep. Reynante Arrogancia and Occidental Mindoro lone district Rep. Odie Tarriela followed the lead of Atayde and Asistio in requesting for a closed-door hearing.
They are set to attend the hearing at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., respectively.
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