Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday disclosed calling cards linking nine construction firms to the family of former Pasig mayoralty candidate and flood control contractor and ex-Pasig City mayoral candidate Sarah Discaya, despite her claims of having divested from most of them.
During a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on anomalous flood control projects, Hontiveros presented the calling cards allegedly belonging to either Pacifico or Curlee Discaya.
“Siyam na calling cards, 9 na kumpanya lahat sa pangalan ni Pacifico o Curlee Discaya,” Hontiveros said, all calling cards named to Pacifico Discaya II, husband of Sarah.
This came after Sarah Discaya admitted to being the chief finance officer (CFO) of her companies, though she claimed to have divested from most of them, leaving her directly involved only with Alpha and Omega General Contractor & Development Corporation, one of the top 15 contractors earlier revealed by President Bongbong Marcos.
“Yung ibang companies po, we've divested from those companies. So I am directly lang with Alpha and Omega,” Discaya earlier stated.
Discaya further disclosed that when she divested from St. Timothy Construction Corporation, also one of the contractors flagged by Marcos, she turned over her shares to Ma. Roma Angeline D. Rimando, the niece of her husband.
However, Hontiveros challenged this statement by presenting evidence of the nine companies still tied to the Discayas.
"They are still connected to those companies," she stressed.
"Hindi totoong nag-divest at kung nag-divest man allegedly hindi pa nila ginagawa ang iba pang mga requirements don," Hontiveros stated.
Here is the list of companies allegedly linked to the Discaya family:
- Alpha and Omega Construction
- St. Timothy Construction
- St. Gerrard Construction
- Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.
- St. Matthew General Contractor & Development
- Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor
- YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply
- Amethyst Horizon Builders and General Contractor & Development Corp.
- Way Maker OPC
When pressed by senators, Discaya confirmed that these companies had indeed competed against one another in project bidding. In 2022 alone, she said she participated in 491 flood control project bids, winning 71 contracts.
Discaya also acknowledged knowing some Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials but denied having direct dealings with them.
Her companies, including Alpha and Omega and St. Timothy Construction, have been flagged among top contractors securing major flood control projects now under scrutiny for alleged irregularities.
The revelation came shortly after Sarah Discaya admitted that her family’s construction firms often joined the same government project bidding, a practice that almost guaranteed one of their companies would win the contract.
“That is not a legitimate bidding. Dahil yung siyam na yun na naglalaban-laban sa iisang kontrata, iisang lang ang may ari. So kahit sino manalo don sa bidding na yon, ikaw ang panalo, kasi sayo lahat yun e,” Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada tells Discaya.
"Pag naglalaban-laban yung siyam na korporasyon sa isang kontrata, at kung sino manalo dun, kahit isa sa siyam na manalo, sa'yo pa rin yun, ikaw pa rin ang panalo. Correct?," Estrada questioned Discaya. Discaya answered, "Yes."
“Ang sagot po dyan, Senator Temp, nagbibidding-biddigan,” Senator Erwin Tulfo added.
Discaya testified that her family has been in the construction industry for 23 years.
