NBI to file charges over P55M SEA Games cauldron irregularities

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation is set to file cases in the coming days over alleged irregularities related to the “golden cauldron” installed for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said. Speaking at a forum in Quezon City over the weekend, Matibag said the investigation had yielded documents and testimonies that could support criminal charges. “Within the next few days, perhaps within a week, we will be filing cases,” Matibag said. The investigation is part of the NBI’s broader probe into the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), which Matibag said involves multiple cases and a large volume of documents and testimonies. “We divided this into pieces so we can file cases. There will be different cases coming out. The cauldron is another case. That might be the first one,” he said. Matibag said the NBI had obtained documents concerning the cauldron, which reportedly cost P55 million, although the actual cost was allegedly only about P5 million. He said several leaders of sports associations were also being investigated, with some already appearing before the NBI after receiving subpoenas. Matibag said the NBI was also examining the activities of people associated with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who was the head of PHISGOC in 2019. He identified sports executive Ramon Suzara as among those being looked into, noting that some PHISGOC members had been Cayetano’s colleagues, staff members or associates. “We are still developing and checking what ventures they are involved in,” Matibag said. The NBI is also looking into why PHISGOC continued to sponsor international events despite being created specifically to organize the 2019 SEA Games. “It was supposed to end its existence after the SEA Games. But we found out that until now, they are still sponsoring international events. We are looking into that,” Matibag said. Matibag stressed that the PHISGOC investigation remains ongoing and that the NBI is pursuing separate cases based on the evidence it has gathered. Information Source: Philstar Nation