Duterte says SEA Games probe to spare no one – even Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday underscored that the investigation into the issues encountered during the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games would spare no one, even his political ally Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

“If it causes me and my allies to fall politically then so be it,” Duterte said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

“Kung mag imbestiga naman ako then I try to, protect or to hide or to bar the investigators from arriving at the truth… I might as well as say that, look, inutil ako dito kaya because I, so what would be the reason for saying you are going to investigate it,” the president added.

Duterte clarified that his comment that Cayetano is innocent of corruption was only his opinion and assured that no one is off the hook yet on the probe.

Cayetano chairs Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc).

“That is just my opinion, I could be wrong but I have known Cayetano for many years. I have always believed in him,” Duterte said.

“I was just kind of shooting breeze with everyone. Parang hindi ako makapaniwala na papatol si Cayetano,” he added.

However, Duterte said that the probe should proceed presuming everyone is innocent.

“I think that the investigation should proceed with the presumption of innocence then along the way if you find some wrong—either negligence or intentional—let it out and sort out what to do next either to file charges or not,” Duterte said.

The President said that the complaints of delegates leading up to the opening of the sporting event this weekend should not be minimized.

“When you are running a big event you have to be structural and that is why I said it could have been better run by the military,” the president said.

Cayetano has earlier apologized for the inconveniences experienced by the delegates.