Manila: Malaca±ang on Thursday defended the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) planned probe into alleged anomalies involving infrastructure projects for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, saying the investigation is part of the agency's mandate and should not be viewed as an attempt to intimidate senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
According to Philippines News Agency, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that the NBI is duty-bound to investigate reports of possible corruption regardless of timing or personalities involved. She emphasized that it is within the NBI's mandate to act upon receiving information about potential anomalies, without the need for a directive from the President.
Castro dismissed claims by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano that the probe was intended to pressure senator-judges handling Duterte's impeachment trial. Cayetano had alleged that the NBI's planned investigation aimed to intimidate him as a senator-judge, following NBI Director Melvin Matibag's announcement that the bureau would examine alleged anomalies involving the 2019 SEA Games Sports Complex, including reported PHP10 billion in congressional insertions, the lack of competitive bidding for certain projects, and the controversial PHP50 million cauldron.
Cayetano, who chaired the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, has maintained he had no involvement in the infrastructure projects. According to Castro, Matibag was informed of alleged irregularities in the construction of facilities for the 2019 SEA Games, prompting the bureau to look into the matter.
Castro posed a rhetorical question regarding the responsibilities of the NBI leadership when faced with such allegations: "As head of the NBI, what should he do upon hearing such information? Ignore it? Sleep on it? Or investigate?" She further rejected suggestions that an investigation alone constitutes intimidation, adding that those who did nothing wrong should not feel harassed by the planned investigation.
She concluded by asserting that government agencies have an obligation to pursue complaints once information about possible irregularities is brought to their attention, stressing that the investigation is not an act of harassment against individuals who have done nothing wrong.
