Reps Arjo Atayde, Dean Asistio face contractor bribery allegations

Quezon City Representative Arjo Atayde and Caloocan City Representative Dean Asistio appeared before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to address accusations of soliciting money from contractors.

Contractor couple Pacifico and Sarah Discaya alleged that Atayde and Asistio demanded payments, claiming Atayde's father, Arturo, received money from them so their flood control projects would not be hampered.

During the hearing, Representative Atayde dismissed the claims as hearsay and expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation, becoming emotional while denying the allegations.

Atayde stated that he and his father have nothing to hide and are prepared to prove their innocence, emphasizing that he has not yet been presented with any evidence against them.

In a statement released after his appearance, Atayde categorically denied the "baseless allegations" linking him to corruption.

He added that all flood control projects in his district were initiated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).