MANILA – Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman will review its 2021 resolution dismissing charges related to infrastructure projects undertaken for the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Remulla said the review would not violate the rule against double jeopardy because the cases were never filed before the courts.

He said it is still premature to determine whether Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who served as chair of the 2019 Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), would be summoned.

“There is a time for everything. We first need to study how our office came out with the resolution in 2021,” Remulla said.

In December 2021, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed criminal and administrative complaints against former Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and current Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon and several others, citing insufficiency of evidence.

Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau will issue subpoenas to Phisgoc officials as part of its separate investigation into the matter.

Among those to be subpoenaed are Phisgoc chair Ramon “Tats” Suzara, Chief Financial Officer Dexter Estacio, and Corporate Secretary John Lester Buenconsejo.

Matibag said the subpoenas will be issued on Monday, directing the officials to appear before the NBI on July 24.

He said the bureau’s investigation was prompted by “new information and documents” concerning the multibillion-peso allocations for projects undertaken by Phisgoc.