Contractor implicates congressmen, DPWH officials in bribery scheme

Contractor Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya II implicated several congressmen and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in an alleged bribery scheme.

The Discaya couple are ready to name officials from past administrations who were supposedly linked to anomalous flood control projects, their lawyer said.

Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III clarified that the Discayas only covered projects from July 2022 onwards in their affidavit because that was the timeframe requested by the Senate.

Samaniego added that the Discayas have filed complaints and named officials from previous administrations, including those of Gloria Arroyo, PNoy Aquino, and Rodrigo Duterte.

Discaya II previously invoked his right against self-incrimination when asked at a House parallel inquiry whether senators were involved in the alleged kickback scheme.

House committee on infrastructure head Rep. Terry Ridon had dismissed Discaya's sworn affidavit as a "scrap of paper" due to its expired notarization.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto suggested the Discayas might be positioning themselves as state witnesses and noted inconsistencies in their claims.

Some lawmakers, including Speaker Martin Romualdez, have denied the accusations and are considering legal action.

Discaya reasoned that his affidavit was a response to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s crackdown on anomalous flood control projects.