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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Arrest of big fishes 'will take time', says ICI Exec Hosaka

Arrest of big fishes 'will take time', says ICI Exec Hosaka

Published Dec 11, 2025 02:02 pm
ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka
ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka
Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Executive Director Brian Hosaka said Thursday, Dec. 11, that the arrest of so-calles "big fishes" involved in anomalous flood control projects "will take time".
But once that happens, "Justice will start to kick in," Hosaka said.
Hosaka said jailing the bigger personalities linked to the corruption scandal--which the public has been yearning for, can't happen “with just a snap of a finger” since everything has to go “through the process, that is part of our country’s system.”
“Due process—we need to gather enough evidence, we have to meet that quantum of evidence. And pag nagawa ‘yun, dyan magkikick-in yung hustisya (And once that's done, justice starts kicking in),” he said in a press conference.
“But it is something that is part of the process,” he added.
Nevertheless, Hosaka cited various achievements that the Commission has so far made since its establishment in mid-September to investigate the billion-peso anomalous flood control projects.
“We refer cases to the Ombudsman. These are criminal charges, administrative charges. We know for a fact na nagbunga na ‘no (that it has already bore fruits, right), he said.
“There was already a case filed before the Sandiganbayan. Warrants of arrest were already issued. People were already arrested, brought to the jurisdiction of the courts,” he added.
Hosaka said that for the commission, “That is a big thing.”
“Because it shows that the process, that the system works,” he noted.
“So that would be a very big achievement in the sense that we can show the people that the commission asked for its creation and its mandate, will be able to assure them that our system works,” he added.
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