The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will form a special task force to look into alleged irregularities in the construction of the New Clark City Sports Complex used for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, its director said Wednesday, July 15.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the task force would examine reports that about 10 billion pesos allocated for the project remained unliquidated and that the funds were released without undergoing public bidding.

Matibag said the money was reportedly sourced through congressional insertions under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), raising questions about how the funds were disbursed and implemented.

The investigation will also cover the controversial cauldron built for the games, which cost about ₱50 million and drew public criticism at the time.

Matibag said the bureau already has documents indicating that an inquiry is warranted, including records pointing to several individuals, though he declined to name them.

“Hindi naman ito renewed interest. It so happened na may mga lumabas ngayon na dokumento which will lead us to investigate,” Matibag said.

He stressed that the probe is not politically motivated and denied any rivalry with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who led the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee that handled the 2019 games.

Matibag said Cayetano may be invited for questioning if necessary as part of the investigation.