For years, the 30th Southeast Asian Games was packaged as the Filipinos’ source of national pride.

With a record 149 gold medals collected, a sprawling national stadium, and a towering cauldron burning bright over a brand-new sports complex, the biennial meet in 2019 was presented as the greatest sporting spectacle this country had ever hosted.

But not everything that glitters is gold.

Beneath the pageantry lingered unanswered questions, unsubmitted financial statements, and persistent calls for a full accounting of billions of pesos in public funds by a man who appeared to believe that political protection would always be within reach.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano acted as though the SEA Games was his personal domain when he established the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation.

In truth, the hosting rights belonged to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), then headed by Jose “Peping” Cojuangco.

When the POC was awarded the hosting rights following Brunei’s withdrawal in 2015, Cojuangco endorsed the appointment of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri to head an ad hoc body that would organize the Games.

Then the war in Marawi erupted.

Citing the enormous financial burden of rebuilding the war-torn city, the government, through Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, formally withdrew from hosting the SEA Games. It was a reasonable, country-first decision. But behind the scenes, influential figures in Philippine sports pushed to keep the hosting alive.

With the backing of key political allies, Cayetano stepped in to revive the country’s bid to host the Games. He eventually secured the support of Cojuangco and the POC board to chair the organizing body.

From there, however, he chose a different course.

Instead of allowing the POC and the PSC to oversee a government-funded undertaking through the original ad hoc structure, Cayetano created an entirely new organization — the Phisgoc Foundation — to manage both government appropriations and private-sector contributions intended for the SEA Games.

In effect, Cayetano and his close associates assumed control over the staging of the 2019 SEA Games and positioned the foundation to play a central role in future international sporting events hosted by the country.

It was a remarkable concentration of authority. Through a new set of incorporation papers, responsibilities that many believed should have remained under institutions subject to established public accountability mechanisms were transferred to a private foundation created under Cayetano’s leadership.

What should have been a transparent national undertaking instead became a structure that critics argued made public scrutiny and accountability more difficult.

Among the original incorporators of the Phisgoc Foundation were Cayetano’s executive assistant, a longtime friend from high school, and a clerk from Taguig City Hall.

The composition of the board inevitably raised questions. By surrounding himself with trusted associates, Cayetano invited public skepticism over whether the foundation possessed sufficient independence to demand transparency, scrutinize major expenditures, or insist on the highest standards of accountability expected in the handling of public funds.

When journalists sought answers about the project’s finances and operations, some found themselves facing hostility and intimidation. In the case of the DAILY TRIBUNE, questions over the SEA Games ultimately resulted in criminal complaints for cyberlibel being filed against members of its organization.

Seven years later, however, the political landscape has changed dramatically.

The alliances that once appeared to shield Cayetano from sustained public scrutiny are no longer what they once were. Questions that had long lingered in the background are now returning to the forefront.

The diversionary tactics, dramatic press conferences, Facebook Live broadcasts, political brinkmanship, and retaliatory lawsuits no longer answer the central issue that has persisted since 2019.

The issue has never been personalities. It has always been accountability.

The public deserves a complete accounting of how billions of pesos intended for the SEA Games were planned, managed, and spent. The financial records should be opened.

The unanswered questions should finally receive clear and complete answers. And if official investigations uncover violations of the law, then those responsible — whoever they may be — should be held fully accountable.

It’s over, Alan. The time for political theater has passed. The time for a full accounting has arrived.