The Office of the Ombudsman has opted to re-examine the documentation regarding the development of infrastructures for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, clarifying that double jeopardy is not an issue since no official charges were ever pressed.
During a briefing on Friday, July 17, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla revealed that he directed his team earlier that morning to pull the comprehensive 2021 case files for a fresh assessment to identify potential legal infractions.
“Just this morning, I asked my staff to get the whole file from 2021 to see and look at possible violations. We’re opening it up again,” Remulla said.
The Ombudsman noted that the anti-graft body will meticulously evaluate the previous conclusions and measures implemented by the office in 2021 before charting its next course of action.
“Pag-aaralan muna namin ‘yung ginawa ng office dati noong 2021 kasi walang double jeopardy. Wala namang na-charge noon, so titingnan natin,” he said.
When questioned about Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano—who chaired the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) during the event—Remulla refrained from providing specific details, only stating, “There’s a time for everything.”
This revived investigation follows Cayetano’s recent confrontation with the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., triggered by the Senate minority bloc’s plan to resurrect a probe into suspected anomalies in flood control initiatives.
Concurrently, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is pressing forward with its independent inquiry into alleged irregularities regarding the procurement and financing of the SEA Games infrastructure.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag previously announced that a dedicated task force would be formed by the bureau to look into the purported discrepancies tied to PHISGOC, citing the acquisition of “new information and documents” relevant to the organization.
On Thursday, July 16, the Ombudsman validated that prior complaints lodged against Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and three others concerning the sports facility construction had been thrown out in December 2021 due to a lack of evidence.