Probe will leave no stone unturned: All past cases included

In reopening the investigation into the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in 2019, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office will rely on evidence and that every complaint will be reviewed, except those that had been patently dismissed.

Remulla on Saturday said the investigation will look at the facts and be evidence-based, adding that a case will only be considered truly dismissed if it reaches the arraignment stage and the principle of double jeopardy applies.

“It will only be final if it was actually filed in court, if an arraignment was conducted, and double jeopardy would take effect. Otherwise, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Remulla said.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the case filed against Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, then president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), in connection with the investigation into the misuse of public funds, had been dismissed due to lack of evidence.

The BCDA oversaw the construction of the New Clark City sports complex for the biennial regional sports event.

The dismissal was contained in a joint resolution issued in December 2021. Malacañang likewise said Dizon had been cleared of charges over the controversy.

Remulla noncommittal

When asked about the dismissal of the case against Dizon, Remulla said, “I asked my staff to get the whole file for 2021 to look into the possible violations of law.”

On Friday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) named the members of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) who will be subpoenaed in relation to its probe into the construction of the sports facilities.

NBI director Melvin Matibag, who earlier announced that the bureau would conduct a probe, said he would ask the Phisgoc members to explain Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s role in the organization.

For his part, Cayetano has said the NBI director was trying to intimidate him ahead of the latter’s appearance next week at the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Cayetano was the head of the organizing committee for the 2019 SEA Games, during which the Philippines emerged as the overall champion.

Matibag said the NBI probe will look into allegations that Phisgoc received P10 billion to P15 billion from the Office of the President’s confidential or intelligence funds.

He said the NBI will have to verify the matter, adding that the agency has “credible leads.”

He said Phisgoc had argued that it was a private entity and need not pass through the Commission on Audit (CoA), but Matibag said that an audit was mandatory because it used government funds.

Matibag said it is basic that government funds undergo liquidation by the CoA.

The NBI will summon three Phisgoc officials tomorrow to establish who were responsible for the reported unliquidated P3.7-billion SEAG funds.

Those who will be summoned are then Phisgoc chairman Ramon “Tats” Suzara, chief financial officer Dexter Estacio, and corporate secretary John Lester Buenconsejo.

Matibag said they will focus on the unliquidated funds given to a private entity involved in the games.

The 2019 SEA Games was hosted across multiple cities in the Philippines, with events primarily spread across four main hubs: Clark, Subic, Metro Manila, and various locations in Bulacan and Tagaytay.