By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Sunday brushed aside Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s criticism of Director Melvin Matibag, declaring that personal attacks cannot substitute for evidence as the bureau presses ahead with its investigation into the alleged irregularities surrounding the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
The bureau issued the statement after Cayetano, during a Facebook livestream, referred to Matibag as a “minion” amid the reopening of the NBI’s inquiry into the multi-billion-peso procurement and spending linked to the regional sporting event.
Without directly engaging in the senator’s remarks, the NBI said its investigators remain focused on evidence and the law rather than political rhetoric.
“No one in the Bureau will take offense at the label, nor will it be answered in kind,” the agency said.
It emphasized that its findings will be based solely on documentary evidence, applicable laws, and established investigative procedures, stressing that name-calling has no bearing on the outcome of any criminal inquiry.
The bureau maintained that the renewed SEA Games investigation was prompted by questions over billions of pesos in public funds allegedly disbursed outside the normal safeguards of competitive procurement and government auditing.
According to the NBI, the inquiry is independent, impartial, and fully within the agency’s legal mandate, rejecting insinuations that the investigation is politically motivated.
The bureau also observed that those who object most strongly to an audit are often those who have the most to explain.
“When a position cannot be defended with facts, it is often defended with insults,” the NBI said, adding that such attacks would not deter investigators from pursuing the case.
The agency urged individuals with knowledge or evidence related to the SEA Games expenditures—including Cayetano himself—to submit documents directly to investigators instead of airing allegations through public broadcasts or social media.
The NBI concluded by expressing confidence in Matibag’s leadership, saying the director remains committed to conducting an objective investigation in the interest of the Filipino people.
The bureau reaffirmed that the probe will continue without fear or favor, with accountability to be determined by evidence rather than political exchanges.
ia/xf
