MANILA, Philippines — Breaking his silence after a two-week leave of absence, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon declared that his conscience is clear and he was not bothered by a renewed probe by the Office of the Ombudsman on alleged irregularities in the county’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Dizon stressed that complaints against him had been thrown out by anti-graft investigators five years ago.
“First of all, we are confident because the facilities that were built are truly impressive. You have seen them yourself. They brought great pride to our country during the 2019 SEA Games,” Dizon said yesterday morning as he inspected the ongoing Department of Public Works and Highways’ P2.2-billion EDSA Phase 2 rehab.
Dizon shifted the attention to the actual legacy and success of the SEA Games project, which included the construction of the New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac, the venue for the international competition.
“Even foreigners, including those from Singapore, praised them. What is even more rewarding is that our local athletes are actively using them, especially our student-athletes at the National Academy of Sports. This is the first time our country has had world-class facilities,” Dizon said.
He said the legal issues being rehashed by critics have long been investigated and eventually dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman, now headed by Jesus Crispin Remulla.
“As both the ombudsman and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) have already stated, this was an issue way back in 2021 and it was dismissed,” Dizon said. “A case was filed against me and various other officials before, but it was thrown out as early as December 2021. So, we are completely secure and confident on that front.”
The initial controversy stemmed from complaints filed by citizen watchdog groups, which alleged that a build-transfer scheme was unlawfully embedded into a joint venture agreement between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority then led by Dizon and Malaysian firm MTD Capital Berhad to bypass standard public bidding rules.
Despite the previous dismissal, NBI Director Melvin Matibag recently announced that the bureau is reviewing the infrastructure deals following new claims of unliquidated funds and fast-tracked budget insertions.