NBI may summon Alan Peter Cayetano over alleged 2019 SEA Games anomalies

A subpoena may be issued against Senator Alan Peter Cayetano over the alleged irregularities in the country's hosting of the Southeast Asian Games in 2019, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Monday.

Cayetano was the chairperson of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC).

"Base sa pag-aaral namin, may nakarating sa aming dokumento nangyari pala diyan, he was appointed as interim chairman by the POC. Pero ang instruction sa kanya is to immediately incorporate the PHISGOC. So na-incorporate 'yan...Pero he's not part of the board of directors. Ang mangyari dapat 'yung binuo na PHISGOC will elect their set of officers. So 'yun 'yung question diyan, ayun 'yung kailangan ipaliwanag," NBI Director Melvin Matibag told reporters.

(Based on our study, documents reaching us showed what actually happened there—he was appointed as interim chairman by the POC. But the instruction to him was to immediately incorporate PHISGOC. So that was incorporated... But he's not part of the directors. So he can no longer [act] as a board. What should have happened is that the established PHISGOC would elect their set of officers. So that's the question there, that's what needs to be explained.)

"Paano ka magiging chairman kung nagpakilala kang chairman tapos hindi ka naman member ng board? Pangalawa, if you acted as chairman na hindi ka chairman that is an ultra vires act...Because anything that is being done by a corporation, whether it's an NGO or not, should be through a board resolution," he added.

(How can you be the chairman when you're not even a member of the board? Secondly, if you acted as chairman when you are not really the chairman, that is an ultra vires act... Because anything that is being done by a corporation, whether it's an NGO or not, should be through a board resolution.)

The NBI is probing the allegedly anomalous procurement of projects connected to the SEA Games after receiving new information and documents involving PHISGOC.

Among the projects under scrutiny are the sports facilities built for the games at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

EXPLAINER: Why is the NBI probing the 2019 SEA Games sports complex?

After the NBI said that it will be investigating the matter, Cayetano said the probe was meant to intimidate him.

“I’ll repeat what I said when I was Senate President---Director, hindi mo kami natibag (you failed to break us). So, ‘wag mo try tibagin itong representation na ‘to o itong (don’t try to do it again to this representation or to this) impeachment court because what you’re doing is not helping," the Senate Minority Leader said.

In a Facebook live, Cayetano referred to Matibag as a "minion," the yellow, capsule-shaped characters serving as henchmen to the protagonist of the animation film franchise, "Despicable Me."

But Matibag brushed off Cayetano's remark, saying that he will not take “offense at the label, nor will it be answered in kind.”

Further, Matibag noted that he received reports that PHISGOC's office in Taguig City "is not functioning as a normal office, it's just a virtual office."

"Ang malinaw dito na binabanggit namin is 'yung sa PHISGOC, 'yung mga unliquidated na expenses, sa rental. Just to give you something, in 2023, may binayaran pa sila na rental na mga P300 million," the NBI director said.

(What is clear here is that PHISGOC has unliquidated expenses for rental. Just to give you something, in 2023, they were still paying rentals amounting to around ₱300 million.)

GMA News Online reached out to Cayetano's camp for a comment on NBI's latest statements. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/AOL, GMA News