Alan Cayetano dares Hontiveros to resign if SEA Games venue probe shows no anomaly

Former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday dared Senator Risa Hontiveros to resign if an investigation into the construction of SEA Games sports facilities revealed no irregularity.

Cayetano issued the statement after Hontiveros said that Filipino athletes should not be used as a cover to bar a full-scale Senate investigation on the alleged irregularities.

“Sila pinopolitika lang so para pagsinabi lang imbestigasyon para kahit anong sagutin ko dito sasabihin ayaw lang ng imbestigasyon para bang may tinatago ka,” Cayetano said in a radio interview.

“So yun ang hamon ko kay Senator Risa, mag imbestiga ka, kapag wala kang nakita, mag-resign ka, kapag may nakita ka, ikulong mo ako,” he added.

Hontiveros previously claimed that the joint venture of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) with the Malaysian firm MTD Capital Berhad was "fake."

The senator said that the Malaysian partner didn't spend anything on the P9.5-billion project and that a loan paid by BCDA funded the construction of the sports facilities.

After Hontiveros' speech on the matter, Senator Pia Cayetano, sister of Alan, said she was embarrassed that a "political issue" is being made out of a world-class facility, stressing that Filipino athletes deserve good sports facilities.

“So makikita po natin na lahat na lang pwedeng i-politika. Hindi po namin ginagamit ang atleta, ang sinasabi namin, kung may galit sila kay Vince Dizon, may galit sila kay Alan Cayetano, ako ang tirahin nila. Bakit nila titirahin yung SEA Games na badge of honor sa aming mga atleta,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano chaired the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee.

“Unang una, ang SEA Games ay isa sa pinaka successful if not the most successful, ni-singko walang kwestiyon dyan. Naging chairman ako ng Blue Ribbon Committee, ilang taon, ilang dekada rin ako naging oposisyonista parati po kaming may affidavit, may ebidesnya, may accusation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BCDA maintained that its joint venture agreement with Malaysian firm MTD Capital Berhad for the construction of the New Clark City sports facilities that were used during the SEA Games was above board. -Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News