Palace says NBI probe into 2019 SEA Games not meant to intimidate anyone

Malacañang on Thursday said that the National Bureau of Investigation’s probe into the alleged anomalies in the bidding and funding of projects for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games was not meant to intimidate anyone who did nothing wrong.

Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said this in a Palace briefing after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said that the NBI's planned investigation into the 2019 SEA Games was intended to intimidate members of the Senate impeachment court.

“Ang tao na wala naman na dapat katakutan ay hindi nai-intimidate kahit kailan. Ang pag-iimbestiga na gagawin, dahil meron naman talagang issue noong pang 2019. Hindi ito pang-i-intimidate, hindi ito panggigipit sa mga taong wala namang ginawang mali,” Castro said.

(A person who has nothing to fear would not be intimidated. The investigation that will be conducted was because there was really an issue in 2019. This is not to intimidate, this is not to pressure people who have done nothing wrong.)

“Kung wala naman at walang dapat na katakutan, hindi kailangan ma-intimidate. Hindi kailangan na magalit sa anumang pag-iimbestiga,” she added.

(If there is nothing to fear, there is no need to be intimidated. There is no need to be angry about any investigation.)

The Palace official also maintained that it is the mandate of the NBI to investigate any alleged anomalies.

“Hindi kailangang utusan ng Pangulo. Mandato po ‘yan ng NBI, ng CIDG, ng PNP. Trabaho po nila ‘yan,” she added.

(The President does not have to order them. That’s the mandate of the NBI, CIDG, and PNP. That’s their job.)

According to Castro, Matibag pushed for the probe because someone informed him of the alleged corruption issues linked to the 2019 SEA Games.

“Bilang isang namumuno sa NBI, kapag may nadinig na gano'n, ano ba ang dapat gawin? Isawalang bahala, tulugan, ignore, o imbestigahan? Hindi po ba dapat na imbestigahan? Hindi dahil gusto niyang manira o makadiskaril ng isang tao,” she said.

(As a head of the NBI, when you hear something like that, what should you do? Brush it off, sleep on it, ignore it, or investigate? Shouldn't it be investigated? Not because he wants to destroy someone's reputation or derail a person.)

Cayetano served as chairman of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), which organized the 2019 SEA Games.

Matibag disclosed that the NBI recently received new information and documents involving the PHISGOC, claiming that billions of pesos were spent on the SEA Games Sports Complex.

He also alleged that a private company received P10 billion through "congressional insertions."

Aside from these, Matibag said the NBI would also examine the P50-million 2019 SEA Games cauldron project.

Castro also brushed off allegations that the NBI probe had anything to do with the tiff between Matibag and Cayetano.

“Hindi po siya dahil sa nagkakaroon sila ng word war ni Sen. Alan Cayetano. Nabanggit lang po niya ito dahil tinanong po siya sa isang ambush interview,” she said.

(It’s not because he and Sen. Alan Cayetano were having a word war. Matibag just mentioned the investigation because he was asked in an ambush interview.) —AOL, GMA News