Sotto calls for CIAP, PCAB overhaul amid dubious ownership issues

Senate Minority Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III is calling for an overhaul of the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP) and the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) following revelations of dubious ownership structures in construction firms.

Sotto's push for legislative changes stems from a case involving spouses Pacifico and Cezarah Rowena Discaya, where several construction companies linked to them were found to have questionable ownership.

Records indicate that these companies are controlled by relatives and employees of the Discayas, which the PCAB has confirmed as material misrepresentation in corporate registration.

Concerns were also raised by Sotto regarding the difficulty of holding contractors accountable due to their practice of using multiple addresses for their businesses.

He highlighted that some contractors exploit legal loopholes by forming new corporations or sole proprietorships to evade regulatory measures, especially when their licenses are denied.