Duterte orders investigation over SEA Games mess
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered an investigation over alleged incompetence and corruption in the country's hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
In an interview on Tuesday night, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte was not pleased about the negative reports about the snafu and inconveniences being experienced by Filipino and foreign athletes.
"Let's put it this way, the President is not pleased of what he’s been hearing about certain snafu, certain delays, certain allegations of athletes not being fed properly, athletes arriving late or not on time delivered to their places of rest or residence. He’s displeased. He doesn't like that. There were allegations of fraud being reported in the newspapers, he also does not like it. He wants to investigate that. He won't allow corruption," he said.
He said the Office of the President may undertake the probe.
Asked if House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano being the head of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee would be included in the investigation, Panelo said, "Maybe all will be included. When you investigate a particular body, all those involved are included."
With the problems being encountered in the SEA Games, he said the government might avoid the private sector to handle similar huge event in the country.
While being headed by Cayetano, Phisgoc is a private entity organized to handle the SEA Games.
Panelo said the Palace again apologizes to the athletes and other participants in the SEA Games for the inconvenience that they have experienced.
"Those are unintentional. But as for the organizers, these things could have been properly done, organized and that could have been avoided," he said.
Some foreign athletes who arrived in the country ahead of the opening of the SEA Games on November 30 experienced logistical problems, such as on transportation, accommodation, and food. Celerina Monte/DMS
