Wazzup Pilipinas!?
On September 8, during a blistering Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, contractors Cezarah “Sarah” and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya read a sworn statement alleging that some lawmakers and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) personnel approached them for a “percento”—cuts they said ranged from 10% up to 25% of project funds in exchange for smoothing the way for government contracts and implementation. The couple’s claims land amid a broader national probe into suspected anomalies in flood-control projects, an area that has swallowed billions of pesos even as communities reel from increasingly frequent inundations.
The list the Discayas put on the record
According to the Discayas’ statement, those they said sought a slice included (in their words): Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo; Quezon City Rep. Arjo Atayde; Rep. Marcy Teodoro; former undersecretary Terence Calatrava (Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas); USWAG Ilonggo party-list Rep. Jojo Ang; Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas; AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones; San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes; Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona; former congressmen Benjamin Agarao Jr. and Florencio Gabriel Noel; Occidental Mindoro Rep. Odie Tarriela; Quezon Rep. Reynante Arrogancia; Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo; former congressman Teodorico Haresco Jr.; former congresswoman Antonieta Eudela; Caloocan Rep. Dean Asistio; and Quezon City Rep. Marivic Co-Pilar. The couple also said staff members of some politicians met them to talk about the alleged “percentage.” (All are presumed innocent; the allegations remain unproven.)
Swift denials and pushback
Within hours, several lawmakers publicly denied the Discayas’ allegations, with some signaling they would pursue legal action to clear their names. Newsrooms reported blanket denials from those named, underscoring the fraught, high-stakes nature of the claims and the political turbulence now swirling around Congress.
Why this matters: the money and the floods
The controversy erupted after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flagged flood-control spending patterns in late July, triggering audits and parallel House and Senate inquiries. The Presidential Communications Office said initial government data showed about 20% of flood-control projects—roughly ₱100 billion—went to just 15 contractors, prompting the Palace to roll out a public-facing project portal and to call for an independent commission to build airtight cases against wrongdoers. International and local outlets have chronicled how “ghost projects,” substandard works, and possible cartel-like behavior may have left communities more exposed to flooding—even as budgets ballooned.
Independent data work by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and media partners found that companies owned by or linked to the Discayas won 421 projects worth roughly ₱31 billion from 2022 to 2025, helping cement their moniker as the country’s “flood-control king and queen.” ABS-CBN’s data explainer put the three-year flood-control spend at 9,855 projects totaling ₱545 billion in the first three years of the Marcos administration.
The state’s response so far
Regulators and law enforcers have moved on multiple fronts while hearings continue:
Licenses pulled: The Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board revoked the licenses of several Discaya-linked firms following questions over bidding patterns and affiliations.
Luxury cars seized: The Bureau of Customs and the Philippine Coast Guard have seized and inspected fleets of luxury vehicles linked to the couple; counts climbed to 28 vehicles as of early September, pending checks on taxes and import papers.
Leadership shake-up & bidding freeze: After the public works secretary’s resignation, incoming DPWH chief Vince Dizon suspended bidding for flood-control projects and ordered a full review—an early signal of a harder line on contracting.
Continuing probes: The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has issued subpoenas to top contractors and continues televised hearings examining alleged “ghost projects,” license-renting schemes, and monopolistic practices. Some contractors have asserted their right against self-incrimination.
What the Discayas say—and what they deny
At the hearings, Sarah Discaya acknowledged controlling or co-owning multiple construction firms but denied running “ghost projects.” She maintained that overlapping bids occurred within the bounds of the law and insisted the couple’s wealth came from legitimate businesses. Still, the couple’s own claim that some public officials demanded 10–25% kickbacks—if substantiated—would amount to a devastating indictment of how infrastructure is brokered in parts of the system.
Politics now in the floodwater’s wake
Fallout has rippled across Metro Manila and the regions. Protesters have massed outside Discaya-linked properties and at DPWH offices; police have vowed impartial investigations into vandalism incidents as tensions rise. Inside Congress, the issue has pitted lawmakers against one another even as both chambers promise to clean house. The drama is as much about credibility as it is about cement: who gets the work, who takes the risk, and who pays the price when the rains come.
The road ahead
The Marcos administration has vowed to publish data, blacklist erring firms, and file cases where evidence warrants—while the new DPWH leadership resets procurement on flood-control works. For investigators, the next steps are clear but arduous: verify the Discayas’ sworn claims, follow the money across bidding cycles and bank records, interrogate design-and-build patterns, and, ultimately, prosecute both bribe payers and bribe takers. Until courts render judgments, all parties remain entitled to due process—but after years of swollen budgets and swollen rivers, the public will be watching whether this reckoning delivers more than talk.
Note: This article attributes the list of names to the Discayas’ sworn statement. Several of those named have publicly denied the allegations and/or signaled legal action; the claims are subject to ongoing legislative and law-enforcement investigations.
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Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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