Discayas identify solons who took cuts in DPWH contracts

Beleaguered couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya reveal congressmen’s names who took commissions from DPWH deals at the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe on anomalous flood control projects. (Photo from SMNI News Channel) 

Controversial contractors Cezarah Rowena ‘Sarah’ Discaya and husband Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya has finally ‘spilled the beans’, naming the congressmen who allegedly took cuts from their deals with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), particularly in the agency’s multi-billion peso flood control projects that are under scrutiny for being substandard or simply non-existent but have collected payment from the government. 

Among those named by the Discayas were Quezon City representatives Juan Carlos ‘Arjo’ Atayde of District I and Marvin De Castro Rillo of District IV, Pasig City Lone District congressman Roman Romulo and Marikina District I representative Marcelino ‘Marcy’ Teodoro. 

The Discayas made their revelation before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, identifying the four legislators with other lawmakers and a number of DPWH officials who reportedly solicited money from their firm after it won bids for several government projects. 

The couple are the owners of Alpha & Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation and Saint Timothy Construction Company and seven other construction firms that were listed by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. as among the top 15 contractors who cornered contracts for the DPWH’s flood control and mitigation efforts around the country.

Many were surprised when Curlee Discaya mentioned Atayde, the actor-turned-politician husband of popular television host-actress Maine Mendoza (real name Nicomaine Dei Capili Mendoza) who was first elected as solon in May 2022.

Also implicated by Discaya was Atayde’s father, Arturo ‘Art’ Atayde, who is married to actress Sylvia Sanchez (Jossette Ocampo). 

Also surprising was the mention of Congressman Romulo, who is known to be a close ally of Pasig City mayor Victor Maria Regis ‘Vico’ Sotto, nephew of Senator Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III. It may be recalled that Mayor Sotto was one of those who exposed the alleged involvement of the Discayas in irregularities in several government transactions during their rivalry over Pasig’s mayoralty seat. 

Romulo, meanwhile, was endorsed by Sotto as the top candidate to represent Pasig City’s lone congressional district in the Lower House. 

The other legislators who allegedly got huge percentage in the DPWH deals were identified by the Discayas as party-list representatives James ‘Jojo’ Ang of Uswag Ilonggo, Nicanor ‘Nikki’ Briones of Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) and Florencio Noel of An-waray and solons Patrick Michael Vargas and Marivic Co-Pilar Page of Quezon City’s Fifth and Sixth Districts, Florida Roves if San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon, Benjamin Agarao Jr. of Laguna’s Fourth District, Reynante Arrogancia of Quezon, Leody Tarriela of Occidental Mindoro, Teodoro Haresco of Aklan, Antonieta Eudela of Zamboanga Sibugay and Dean Asistio of Caloocan City’s Third District.