The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) subpoenaed to seven individuals to appear before investigators next week as it expand probe into the alleged transfer of billions of pesos in government funds to the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC).

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the first batch of persons of interest would start appearing before the bureau on Monday and Tuesday after receiving subpoenas.

“Right now, we issued subpoenas to about seven individuals," Matibag said.

He added that some of those subpoenaed will appear on Monday and the others will appear on Tuesday.

Matibag clarified that the NBI intentionally scheduled the hearings next week to give the recipients sufficient time to comply with the warrants.

“No, the subpoenas are on Monday because we give them enough time to appear,” Matibag said when asked why they were not appearing immediately.

The summons form part of the NBI’s investigation into the alleged transfer of at least P6.7 billion in government funds from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to PHISGOC during the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Matibag earlier announced the creation of a Task Force, a multi-unit investigative team composed of personnel from the NBI’s Public Corruption Division, Special Action Unit, the Office of the Director, and selected field operatives to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the fund transfers.

The agency is also coordinating with the Commission on Audit (COA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to examine corporate records, financial documents, and tax filings related to PHISGOC.

Matibag previously said that the amount under scrutiny could exceed P10 billion, once private sector contributions and other transactions are validated.