DOJ, Palace backing NBI plan to dig up SEA Games hosting issue

newsinfo / Headlines Headlines 7 years after event DOJ, Palace backing NBI plan to dig up SEA Games hosting issue By: Dexter Cabalza, Kathleen de Villa - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:32 AM July 17, 2026 Share: INQUIRER.net file photo MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Malacañang on Thursday threw their full support behind the National Bureau of Investigation’s decision to reopen its investigation into alleged irregularities in the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, insisting that the inquiry is driven by evidence, not politics or the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The DOJ defended the NBI after Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen.

Pia Cayetano alleged that the renewed probe into the controversial P50-million SEA Games cauldron and other infrastructure projects in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, seven years after hosting the 2019 SEA Games was intended to intimidate them as senator-judges in Duterte’s impeachment proceedings. Article continues after this advertisement “The Department has full confidence that the NBI will continue to carry out its work with the professionalism, integrity, and independence expected of it,” the DOJ said in a statement.FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO Lacson after Marcoleta’s PGH exam: ‘It’s a miracle!’

NEWSINFO Cayetano answers complaint over Dela Rosa's 'escape' – Ombudsman NEWSINFO Ex-NBI chief: ‘Oplan Romanov’ a threat vs Marcoses, not VP Duterte READ: Cayetano-Matibag spat revives ‘kaldero’ issue It stressed that the NBI, one of its attached agencies, has the authority to initiate investigations either through referrals or motu proprio (on its own), and that its actions are “grounded solely in its mandate and the rule of law.” “The Department fully respects the views expressed by Sen. Pia Cayetano.

We assure her and the public that the actions of the [NBI] are grounded solely in its mandate and the rule of law,” it added. Probe not political The Palace echoed the DOJ’s position, rejecting claims that the timing of the investigation was linked to the impeachment trial. Article continues after this advertisement “It is the mandate of the NBI and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police to investigate possible anomalies,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

READ: NBI probe into 2019 SEA Games not meant to intimidate – Palace Article continues after this advertisement “They do not need instructions from the President. That is their job.” Castro said individuals who have done nothing wrong have no reason to fear the investigation.

“A person who has nothing to fear cannot be intimidated. The investigation is being conducted because there were legitimate issues dating back to 2019. It is not meant to intimidate or harass people who have done nothing wrong,” she asserted.

Castro also denied that President Marcos had ordered the investigation, saying the NBI acted on its own after receiving information pointing to possible irregularities. She advised Cayetano to not overreact or get angry over the investigation, “otherwise, people may begin to wonder if he is guilty.” Fresh leads According to Castro, NBI Director Melvin Matibag received information in June while preparations were underway for the establishment of the agency’s 70-hectare academy in New Clark City, where many of the SEA Games facilities were built.

Matibag earlier disclosed that investigators had received fresh information indicating that around P10 billion in government funds spent for SEA Games-related projects remained unliquidated, prompting the bureau to revisit the case. The investigation will examine the reported lack of competitive bidding for some infrastructure projects, the controversial P50-million cauldron used during the opening ceremonies, and other expenditures tied to the country’s hosting of the regional sporting event. The Cayetano siblings questioned why the investigation was being revived nearly seven years after the games, with Alan Cayetano describing the move as an attempt to pressure senator-judges ahead of the impeachment trial.

Alan Cayetano chaired the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), the private foundation tasked with organizing the country’s hosting of the 2019 SEA Games. He denied responsibility for the construction of the New Clark City sports facilities, saying these were implemented by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, not Phisgoc. Pia Cayetano likewise raised the issue during the impeachment proceedings, saying the timing of the investigation was “not acceptable, and possibly contemptible.”

Not targeting Alan The Palace, however, maintained that the investigation does not target any particular individual, rejecting claims that Cayetano was being singled out. Castro said Matibag merely announced that the NBI would investigate the alleged anomalies and had not identified any person as the subject