Vico Sotto fact-checks Discaya

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Tuesday slammed Discayas following their statements during the Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on Monday.

“Di sila masyadong honest (They are not so honest),” Sotto said, describing Discaya’s answers before the Senate probe.

In the second hearing regarding flood control projects and the 15 contractors listed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya claimed to own only Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp. (the second in the list), while denying ownership of eight other companies linked to her name.

“Yung ibang companies, we’ve divested from those companies, so I am directly lang with Alpha & Omega. (We have divested from those companies, so I am directly involved with Alpha & Omega only),” Discaya said. "We are no longer part of those companies," she clarified.

The nine companies tied to the Discaya family are the following:

• St. Gerrard Construction Gen. Contractor & Dev. Corp.

• St. Timothy Construction Corp.

• Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.

• Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.

• St. Matthew Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.

• Great Pacific Builders and Gen. Contractor Inc.

• YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc.

• Amethyst Horizon Builders and Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.

• Way Maker General Contractor OPC

Later on, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada confirmed the list of companies. “It is common knowledge that you own nine companies… Am I correct?” he asked. Discaya simply answered, “Yes po.”

For clarification, Estrada pressed, “Hanggang ngayon? Up to now you own these nine companies?” Discaya again admitted, “Yes po.”

Despite the shift in answers, Sotto pointed out another inconsistency when Discaya described herself as “part owner.”

“Ang kulit!!! (So inconsistent!!!)” Sotto reacted.

St. Timothy

Discaya later clarified to Senator Erwin Tulfo what she meant by “divested,” citing St. Timothy as an example. She admitted to having transferred her shares to Ma. Roma Discaya Rimando, niece of Curlee Discaya (Sarah’s husband).

Before becoming COO of St. Timothy, Rimando said she had worked as Human Resource Manager in St. Gerrard, earning only P30,000–40,000 a month. However, according to Senate records cited by Estrada, St. Timothy had a paid-up capital of P887 million, a huge gap compared to her salary.

“Wag na tayong magpaligoy-ligoy pa, sino ang nagbigay sa’yo ng pera? (Let’s go straight to the point, who gave you the money?)” Estrada asked.

“Nakakahiya man po aminin pero meron po akong hiniram na halaga sa tito ko nung nagsisimula pa lang ako… Una po nasa P7.7 million lang po. (It may be shameful to admit but I borrowed money from my uncle when I was just starting... around P7.7 million),” Rimando admitted.

“Nung kumikita na po si St. Timothy, wala po akong nilalabas na sarili kong kita, lahat pinapasok. (When St. Timothy started earning, I no longer spent from my own income, everything went into the company),” Rimando explained.

But for Sotto, this still failed to answer how Rimando was able to acquire majority shares in a billion-peso company.

Discaya family links

Sotto also listed how other companies remained connected to the Discayas based on their own statements.

Elite General Contractor president and owner, Maritoni Melegrito, is Rimando’s cousin while John Bryan Eugenio of Amethyst Horizon is Discaya’s employee.

“Hala ka madam! (Oh no madam!),” Sotto commented, echoing Estrada’s reaction: “Ohhh, dummy!”

Furthermore, Gerrard Discaya of Way Maker OPC was revealed to be Discaya’s eldest son, while Matthew Discaya of St. Matthew Construction is also her son.

“Dinamay pati anak?!! Mababait pa naman anak nila. (They even involved their children?!! Their kids are actually kind),” Sotto remarked. “Alam ko kasi puro sila santo. (I know, because they’re all named after saints),” he added.

Sotto stressed the need for a continuous probe to hold those responsible accountable and break the cycle of corruption. He also urged that both the contractors and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) be questioned on whether contractors receive up to 40% of project funds in advance from politicians, as part of the so-called “standard operating procedure.”

He ended his post with a call to also summon Discaya’s husband:

“Dahil mukhang mas may alam ang kanyang Campaign Spokesperson and DPWH Project Mastermind na si Curlee ‘Great Pacific’ Discaya. (Because it seems like her Campaign Spokesperson and DPWH Project Mastermind, Curlee ‘Great Pacific’ Discaya, knows more.)”