Curlee Discaya, owner of multiple construction firms, maintained on Monday, 8 September, that all flood control projects contracted to their companies are not substandard.

The statement came during the Senate Blue Ribbon hearing, where Discaya admitted that their firms typically give a 10 to 25 percent cut to lawmakers involved in flood control projects.

"Ito po bang ginagawa niyo yung proyekto, so matatawag natin na substandard dahil para kumita kayo, para maibigay niyo yung komisyon, bawasan niyo yung bakal, bawasan niyo ni semento, para may maiabot lang kayo? (So what you're doing in your projects was make them substandard just so you could earn more money, just so you could also give commission. You will reduce the steel, the cement, just so you could give their cut?)," quizzed Senator Erwin Tulfo.

"Wala pong substandard, tama pa rin. Kasi hindi po siya papasa sa testing ng [Department of Public Works and Highways] at hindi po tatanggapin ng warranty bond (There's no substandard, the quality is still there, otherwise it would not pass DPWH's standards as well as the warranty bond)," Discaya responded.

Tulfo countered, saying the projects passed DPWH standards because district engineers and regional directors were allegedly complicit. "Even the Commission on Audit (COA) is your accomplice. Well, they will just turn a blind eye," he added in Filipino. Discaya, however, denied having ties with COA.

Discaya clarified that their firms only take a two to three percent cut from the flood control projects, a claim Tulfo also questioned.

"Magkakandahirap kayo two to three percent? Kakayanin ba ng two to three percent yung mga sasakyan na binili niyo na pagkadami-dami? (You will work hard just for a mere two to three percent? Would that afford all the cars that you bought?) That's unbelievable," Tulfo said.

Last week, the Bureau of Customs took custody of 28 luxury vehicles linked to the Discaya family, including high-end brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Cadillac, Porsche, Jaguar, and BMW.