By Tracy Cabrera
MANILA — Stressing that there is no double jeopardy because no charges were ever filed, the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) announced that it will reopen the files on the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games sports facilities project to review possible violations.
In a statement, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla confirmed that he has instructed his staff to get the whole file from 2021 for the OMB to first review the records before deciding on its next course of action.
Asked to comment on Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who served as chairperson of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) in 2019, Remulla simply said: “There’s a time for everything.”
Recently, Cayetano challenged the Marcos administration after announcing that the Senate Minority bloc would resume its investigation into the alleged anomalous flood control projects while the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) continues its probe into the alleged irregularities in the bidding and funding of the 2019 SEA Games projects.
Remulla confirmed that the complaints filed against Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ Dizon and three others over the construction of sports facilities for the 2019 SEA Games had been dismissed in December 2021 due to insufficient evidence.
Aside from Dizon, the other respondents were BCDA senior vice president for legal services Elvira Estanislao, Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) lawyer Elpidio Vega, and Isaac David, director and representative of Malaysian construction firm MTD Capital Berhad for the SEA Games facilities at New Clark City in Tarlac.
The complaint filed against them alleged that the three public officials conspired in awarding MTD Capital Berhad a ₱8.51-billion joint venture agreement (JVA) for the construction of the sports facilities despite what it described as several irregularities, including the lack of public bidding, the absence of budget appropriation, and unauthorized “insertions and modifications” to the original contract.
Meanwhile, amid the probe on the New Clark City Sports Complex, several athletes have claimed that its facilities have enabled them to train and qualify for several competitions, including the Palarong Pambansa.
Accordingly, even as controversy surrounding the Sports Complex is reignited, student athletes the facility has given them the opportunity to take advantage of its world-class venue and training equipment, despite the Commission on Audit (CoA)’s flagging its operations years back for financial losses.
Based on official records, the complex cost a hefty P10 billion to make, with construction lasting a mere 18 months. It was built for the Philippines’ hosting stint of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2019, but several controversies hounded the events.
State auditors told the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), which manages the complex, that the annual maintenance of the facilities was greater than what it was profiting. In 2022, the BCDA spent more than ₱51 million on the operations and maintenance of the complex. The venue only made ₱39.8 million in adjusted rent income, resulting in a ₱11.39 million loss.
The following year, the BCDA lost ₱5.77 million on the sports complex. Requests for the BCDA’s comment on the matter have proven to be futile.
ia/xf
