The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is set to file criminal charges this week over alleged irregularities surrounding the ₱55-million “Golden Cauldron” built for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag confirmed during the Saturday News Forum that the agency has gathered sufficient documents and testimonies to support the cases, which will be submitted to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Prosecution Service.
The investigation targets the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), which was led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano in 2019.
Documents obtained by the NBI allege that the cauldron, which reportedly cost ₱55 million, may have actually cost only ₱5 million to construct.
The bureau is scrutinizing individuals closely linked to Cayetano, including sports executive Ramon Suzara, alongside several PHISGOC members who were former staff or associates of the senator.
The NBI is also investigating why PHISGOC continues to sponsor international events, noting that the organization was legally mandated to dissolve after the conclusion of the 2019 SEA Games.
Matibag noted that due to the sheer volume of evidence and anomalous transactions uncovered, the NBI has divided the probe into segments, with the “Golden Cauldron” case expected to be the first of several criminal filings.
Multiple sports association leaders have already faced subpoenas and appeared before investigators. # (ZIA LUNA)
