The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) might tap the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in locating the sources of the alleged fake news about the SEA Games.

Phisgoc chair and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who earlier appealed to the media to limit reporting negative news and warned of filing libel cases against those behind alleged fake news stated this in a radio interview on Friday.

“There are at least four Facebook pages and website where fake news started and spread them to same groups.”

“We have a team now that is gathering information and we might ask the help of NBI but as I’ve said, now we will focus on the SEA Games. Allow us to finish the hosting.”

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo lacson who had earlier likened the transfer of funds from Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to Phisgoc to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), clarified that he is not implying that there is corruption on the part of the organizers yet.

Lacson had questioned the transfer of P1.5 billion fund to Phisgoc, saying that it has some similarities to the pork-barrel scam where some government agencies transferred funds to non-government organizations owned by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

“When we said that there is an issue in Phisgoc, we did not categorically say that there is corruption. We’re not there yet,” he explained.

Lacson said that even when Senate Minority Franklin Drilon, during his interpellation on the P50 million cauldron, never said that there is attendant corruption in the construction of the cauldron.

On Thursday, Cayetano said there have been attempts to bribe the media to malign the Philippines’ hosting of the SEA Games. Cayetano, who refused to name the ones behind what he claims to be “black propaganda” however said the media should

decline to take offers for the sake of the country.

His statement did not sit well with media organizations.

Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) hit Cayetano for blaming journalists over negative reports about the multi-sport event.

In its statement released Thursday, the group slammed Cayetano for insinuating that there were attempts to bribe the media to put the SEA Games in a bad light.

“Such sweeping accusations, without a shred of evidence and laced with threats of libel suits are totally unacceptable and tend to intimidate journalists from reporting irregularities objectively.”

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also denounced the supposed attacks against journalists and told Phisgoc that “attempting to dictate how the media should report the news has no place in a democracy.”

Cayetano said there have been attempts to bribe the media to malign the Philippines’ hosting of the SEA Games.

Addressing the groups, Cayetano said: “You know, I have always fought for press freedom but why don’t you look at the Asian Games, the SEA Games in other countries.”

“In other countries, whatever is happening here, also happens there but instead of highlighting the bad, (they highlight the good for their country’s sake). They just help by calling the attention of the organizers so that the problem gets fixed.”

“Here (in our country), (facts) are being mixed with fake news so majority of the reports now turn out to be fake news.” Cayetano warned anew people behind the spread of false information and said they will start investigating them come

12 December.

“To the ones who are now operating — we already know the

websites, the PR agencies behind these. Be ready because you are included in the investigation.”

Despite his appeal to the media to limit negative reports, Cayetano said journalists could still report negative news, saying “fair criticisms” are welcome.