By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Alan Peter Cayetano left the Philippines for Singapore Wednesday night as investigators continued examining alleged irregularities linked to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, while a separate probe into flood-control projects in his political stronghold of Taguig remains active.
Cayetano was spotted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 before boarding Singapore Airlines flight SQ921, which departed at 6:34 p.m. A Bureau of Immigration record also reportedly showed an earlier Abu Dhabi-bound booking under his name.
There was no hold-departure order against Cayetano when he left the country. His departure came, however, as the National Bureau of Investigation moved closer to determining whether criminal complaints should be filed over alleged financial and procurement irregularities involving the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, or PHISGOC.
The timing has placed renewed attention on Cayetano as investigators pursue additional evidence in the controversial 2019 sporting events.
The NBI has reported a significant development in its examination of the 2019 SEA Games, saying investigators found evidence indicating that the P55-million cauldron at New Clark City may have been subjected to double payment.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said two additional witnesses recently provided documents and testimony that could strengthen the bureau’s planned cases against officials associated with PHISGOC.
Investigators are still validating the documents, but Matibag said the cauldron appeared to have cost about P30 million rather than the P55 million declared for the project.
The bureau said it would continue cross-checking the records and witness accounts before determining the appropriate charges.
The investigation has also brought Cayetano’s role in PHISGOC under renewed scrutiny.
According to the NBI, Cayetano’s name was not included among the organization’s registered trustees, meaning he was not formally listed as its chairman in the corporate documents. Investigators are nevertheless examining his publicly acknowledged role as PHISGOC chairman and accounts concerning his involvement in the organization’s operations.
The discrepancy between the organization’s corporate records and Cayetano’s public role has become part of the questions investigators are examining.
The NBI, however, has not established criminal liability against Cayetano. Any case eventually filed would still have to undergo the appropriate legal proceedings.
The SEA Games investigation is not the only controversy involving Cayetano that remains under government scrutiny.
The NBI has separately confirmed that it is investigating 11 flood-control projects implemented in Taguig in 2022 that were allegedly linked to contractors included among companies being examined in the broader national flood-control controversy.
The investigation has attracted particular attention because Taguig has long been associated with the Cayetano political family. His wife, Lani Cayetano, is the city’s incumbent mayor, while his brother, former mayor Lino Cayetano, previously served as city chief executive.
Cayetano has denied allegations involving ghost or anomalous projects in Taguig and has challenged claims that the city was involved in such irregularities.
The controversy has nevertheless escalated as lawmakers and investigators examine individual projects, contractors and government records.
Senator Panfilo Lacson has said his office identified dozens of projects in Taguig that warrant scrutiny and called for an evidence-based investigation.
Cayetano, meanwhile, has disputed the allegations and maintained that investigations should be conducted comprehensively rather than selectively.
The Ombudsman has also pursued inquiries involving Taguig projects, adding another layer of government scrutiny to the controversy.
As with the SEA Games case, the Taguig investigation concerns allegations that remain subject to verification. An investigation does not by itself establish criminal wrongdoing.
Cayetano’s departure also comes at a time when the travel of public officials facing investigations has become a sensitive issue in the Philippines.
Leaving the country while an investigation is pending does not, by itself, establish an attempt to evade authorities or constitute evidence of guilt.
In Cayetano’s case, there was no reported hold-departure order preventing him from leaving the Philippines when he travelled to Singapore.
Still, the issue of officials travelling abroad while facing government scrutiny has repeatedly drawn public attention, particularly in cases involving allegations of corruption or misuse of public funds.
Authorities can seek travel restrictions when legal requirements are met and circumstances justify such action. But being investigated does not automatically mean that an individual is prohibited from leaving the country.
For Cayetano, therefore, the circumstances surrounding his trip remain separate from the merits of the investigations against him.
The more consequential developments remain inside the investigations themselves.
The NBI is continuing to evaluate documents and witness accounts concerning the SEA Games, including the alleged payment irregularities surrounding the cauldron. Investigators are also examining Cayetano’s role in PHISGOC and whether the available evidence is sufficient to support any formal complaint.
At the same time, the separate inquiry into flood-control projects in Taguig remains active, with officials facing questions over individual projects and their implementation.
For Cayetano, the investigations represent separate controversies involving different government projects and periods, but both have placed renewed attention on his role in public affairs.
His departure for Singapore does not resolve any of those questions, nor does it establish wrongdoing.
Ultimately, the outcome will depend on the documentary evidence, testimony and findings produced by the investigating agencies.
ia/xf
