Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday issued a direct challenge to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., proposing a trade-off in legislative and executive investigations.
Cayetano declared that the Senate’s minority bloc is gearing up to revive its probe into highly controversial flood mitigation projects, just as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) ramps up its inquiry into purported bidding and funding irregularities linked to the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
In a social media livestream, Cayetano invited Malacañang and justice officials to fully commit to their investigation of the sports event, which he headed years ago.
“Ito ang proposal natin sa NBI, sa Malacañang, at saka sa DOJ (Department of Justice)—imbestigahan niyo yung Southeast Asian Games of 2019, kung saan tayo nag-overall champion at tiningala ng buong Southeast Asia. Imbestigahan niyo ng husto, bigay niyo lahat,” Cayetano said.
He expressed his absolute backing for the government’s inquiry, while simultaneously daring them to let the Senate minority look into the state’s flood control initiatives.
“We will support totally…tapos, ako naman, sampo ng aming mga kasama na ngayon ay nasa minority, imbestigahan naman namin ang flood control. Ano? Deal?” he said.
The political friction intensified after NBI Director Melvin Matibag revealed plans to establish a specialized task force to dig into the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), citing the arrival of fresh evidence and documentation. Cayetano served as the chairman of PHISGOC during the regional sporting event in 2019.
The timing of the NBI’s announcement has drawn sharp criticism from some lawmakers.
During the sixth day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Cayetano, along with Senators Pia Cayetano and Robin Padilla, slammed Matibag’s statements, characterizing them as a blatant attempt at intimidation.
Matibag, who is slated to appear as a witness for the House prosecution team, is scheduled to give his testimony in the Vice President’s impeachment proceedings next week.