Palace tells Cayetano: No worries if you’re not guilty

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said this in a Palace briefing after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said the NBI’s planned investigation into the 2019 SEA Games was intended to intimidate members of the Senate impeachment court who are trying Vice President Sara Duterte. Cayetano served as chairman of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) seven years ago, a private foundation that received P1.5 billion in public funds. Cayetano also came under fire at the time for a P50-million Olympic-style sports cauldron in New Clark City. “A person with nothing to fear is never intimidated,” Castro said in Filipino. “The investigation being conducted — prompted by an issue dating back to 2019 — is not an act of intimidation or harassment against those who have done nothing wrong,” she added. NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier this week said they would look into the alleged bidding and funding anomalies surrounding the country’s hosting of the SEAG, alleging that a private firm received P10 billion through “insertions” funneled through Congress. Cayetano took this as a tactic to intimidate and silence senator-judges given that Matibag is scheduled to appear before the impeachment court on July 21.Castro added that the NBI was merely carrying out its mandate of probing alleged irregularities, especially in government projects, and does not need to be instructed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to do so. Matibag, Castro insisted, got wind of the supposed irregularities of the SEA Games staging when he inspected the proposed site of the planned NBI Academy at the New Clark City in Tarlac, the same place where many of the sporting events were held in 2019. “It is the mandate of the NBI and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police to investigate possible anomalies. They do not need instructions from the president. That is their job,” Castro said. “Just because an investigation is being conducted, it doesn’t mean individuals are being singled out. If that is the mindset — and hopefully it isn’t — it might lead people to wonder if you are actually guilty. So, if there is nothing to hide and nothing to fear, there is no need to feel intimidated or angry about any investigation. Are you guilty?” she added. Cayetano acknowledged the NBI’s authority to investigate the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, but questioned why it publicly announced the probe while the impeachment trial was ongoing. “Go ahead and investigate. First of all, that’s been investigated many, many times. He could have not announced it and [just] investigated. [If] you think there’s something wrong, go ahead and investigate,” Cayetano said. Cayetano made the remarks after fellow Senator-Judge Robinhood Padilla raised concerns over the NBI’s announcement during the ongoing impeachment proceedings. Cayetano said his concern is not the investigation itself but the possible effect of its public announcement on the credibility and impartiality of the impeachment court. “We have to make sure that the integrity of the court is intact. I hope this issue of the integrity of the court becomes an issue for all of us,” he said.Cayetano said the 2019 SEA Games had already been investigated multiple times, including by the Senate and the Office of the Ombudsman, where he said he personally answered questions regarding the country’s hosting of the regional sporting event. He also described the NBI’s announcement as a “misfire” and rejected Matibag’s statement linking him to the infrastructure component of the SEA Games. According to Cayetano, the Phisgoc, which he chaired, was not responsible for the infrastructure projects cited by the NBI. “We had nothing to do with the infrastructure,” he said. Cayetano also defended the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 SEA Games, saying the event brought international recognition to the country and helped pave the way for the success of Filipino athletes.