Malacañang described House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos’ voluntary appearance before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) as an example of how public officials should face investigations into anomalous flood control projects.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos were “proud” of their son for cooperating fully with the ICI, contrasting this with Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte’s refusal to attend and his call to investigate the First Family instead.

“Bilang magulang makikita natin kung papaano pinalaki ng mga magulang ang isang anak: disente, hindi takot, matapang na humarap sa imbestigasyon, hindi nagtago, nagboluntaryo pa, kinilala ang ICI hindi tulad ng iba (As parents, you can see how a child was raised: decent, unafraid, courageous in facing the investigation, not hiding, volunteering to appear, recognizing the ICI unlike others),” Castro said.

She added that the young Marcos’ readiness to answer questions was a matter of public accountability, and that the President respected the commission’s work.

Asked about former ICI commissioner and Rogelio “Babes” Singson’s comment that Congressman Marcos seemed surprised by some of the questions during the hearing, Castro said she had no direct knowledge of what transpired during the session.

“Hindi po ako privy sa naganap na hearing, so hindi natin alam kung ano ang ikinagulat — bagong facts ba, bagong data ba na malamang ay hindi niya alam (I am not privy to what happened during the hearing, so we do not know what surprised him — whether it was new facts or new data that he likely did not know about),” she said.

“I cannot speculate,” she added.

Meanwhile, Castro reiterated that lawmakers who “have nothing to hide” should not avoid the ICI’s summons, responding to Congressman Duterte’s recommendation that the commission instead investigate the President and the First Family.

“May kasabihan tayo: Buntot niya, hila niya. It means you are responsible for the consequences of your own acts,” she said.

She noted that many lawmakers had already cooperated with the ICI and submitted their explanations on flood-control anomalies across Davao and other regions.

“At kung walang itinatago, hindi dapat magtago (If you have nothing to hide, you should not hide),” Castro added.

Palace ally and civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia praised the young Marcos for voluntarily appearing before the fact-finding body after his name surfaced in allegations raised by former lawmaker Zaldy Co on supposed budget insertions.

Goitia stressed that Marcos was never summoned, was not considered an accused, and that the ICI does not issue subpoenas, yet the House Majority Leader “chose to attend of his own accord” to clarify the matter directly before investigators.

“Showing up voluntarily reflects respect for our institutions. Accountability is not a performance. It is a responsibility,” Goitia said.

He noted that Marcos requested an executive session to keep the discussions focused on documents and facts rather than “political theatrics.”

Goitia described Marcos’ demeanor as steady and composed amid what he called a climate filled with “noise and destabilization attempts.”

“Real leaders face the issues head-on. They do not hide behind noise or excuse,” he said.

“Courage is not always loud. Sometimes it is as simple as walking into a hearing with honesty and a clear conscience,” he added.

Goitia also credited President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos for instilling a “clear sense of duty and integrity” in their son.

“The composure and dignity shown by Majority Leader Sandro Marcos before the ICI reflect the strength of that upbringing,” he said.

“They have every reason to be proud, and the nation has every reason to expect that he will rise to even greater leadership in the years ahead,” he added.