On the international stage, any mention of “fake news” and “illegal drugs” may not raise eyebrows, but coming from the embattled Speaker, this was more of a cry for support.

And the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games have officially begun! The opening ceremonies held last Saturday at the Philippine Arena was everything ordinary Filipino folk with a damn about sports and nationalism would ever dream of. It was a glitzy, mesmerizing and tantalizing affair worthy of a global stage. The stage can be compared to a Hollywood awards show and the unparalleled Filipino talent that adorned the crowd brought out the best in all of us. However, let us all remember that this may forever be retained as a wonderful memory, but it will never ever be — priceless.

Reality is there is always a price tag after every fancy meal. Imagine dining in a five-star Michelin restaurant and walking out without anyone footing the bill. At the end of the day, spenders have to see the receipts.

And who spent for the expensive opening night? The Filipino taxpayers.

Organizers pegged the event as an iconic show of Filipino beauty and artistry, something we saw when our world-famous beauty queens paraded like Flores de Mayo debutants. This shall serve as a prelude to the passage of the spotlight to our athletes who are expected to rack up the medals. It was certainly achieved and social media blew up with acclamations on the ceremonies, though noticeably quiet were the usually rampagingly noisy critics of the administration.

We must emphasize, however, that praise for athletes and the ceremonies are not mutually exclusive from supporting the Filipino athletes. It is definitely acceptable for the opposition to support our athletes, but be vocal in holding the organizers accountable for their actions. The evidence, at the onset, is glaring — from kikiam breakfast to reports by volunteers of mismanagement, and even to foreign news on the complaints of their athletes who are competing in the Philippines. In other words, the people have the right to be critical in the handling of the SEA Games.

It certainly does not help that the chairman of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) is Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, one of the most affluent and ambitious politicians today. If there was anything the bashers pounced on during the opening ceremonies — and there was really little, it being nearly perfect — it was Cayetano’s speech. In his speech, he said, “Yes, building a better world for we live in a world that is full of pain and suffering. A world where there is so much hunger and poverty. A world where lies and fake news take center stage. A world where corruption, crime and illegal drugs are destroying the next generation.”

On the international stage, any mention of “fake news” and “illegal drugs” may not raise eyebrows, but coming from the embattled Speaker, this was more of a cry for support, or a request for you to forget the mishaps since, as he said earlier last week, we are mere humans who make mistakes also. Forgiving as Filipinos are, Cayetano and the rest of Phisgoc will be appreciated for their efforts, but we must never forget about reading the receipts they incurred.

President Rodrigo Duterte clearly enjoyed the opening ceremonies, but as head of state, he must make sure that the billions allotted for the SEA Games were spent correctly. Duterte himself said that Phisgoc must be investigated after the Games are over and done. The Senate had its headstart with Sen. Franklin Drilon holding the torch for this one, and the House of Representatives must decide if it will continue supporting its Speaker.

Hence, after the closing ceremonies of the SEA Games, we can expect another monumental tournament to begin in Congress, where the big boys’ political intramurals can end up either strengthening the Speaker or replacing him with someone else. Just like the SEA Games, the Filipino people must throw their support for the investigation. And if there’s any indication on what could possibly happen, one can check Mayor Inday Sara Duterte’s Instagram account.