NBI: Cayetano not SEA Games committee chair on paper, complicating probe

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday said it was having difficulty linking alleged anomalies in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano due to the lack of a paper trail, noting that he was technically not the chair of the organizing committee. Cayetano has been closely associated with the 2019 SEA Games controversy after former President Rodrigo Duterte designated him as chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC). “There was an instruction to establish and incorporate PHISGOC and register it with the SEC. When it was registered, the Board of Trustees were listed, and he was not among them," NBI Director Melvin Matibag said in an interview with DZBB. "So he could not be the chairman because he was not a member of the corporation, but he acted as chairman," he added. Matibag said this was why, despite the NBI's discovery of new evidence that could lead to cases against PHISGOC officials, investigators have struggled to trace the alleged anomalies to Cayetano because his name does not appear on relevant documents. Despite this, Matibag said Cayetano's actions could constitute usurpation of function because he acted as PHISGOC chair. The NBI chief also cited witness testimonies indicating that Cayetano at times directed where funds should be allocated. Aside from receiving funds from the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation for the SEA Games, PHISGOC also oversaw ticket sales and revenues, according to Matibag. He also said that although PHISGOC was established for the 2019 SEA Games, the organization has continued to function to this day. “Until now, they sponsor international events using PHISGOC, and they are benefiting from government-granted benefits, including exemptions,” Matibag said. GMA News has reached out to Cayetano’s office for comment and will update this story once it responds.— MCG, GMA News