Discaya: Politicians may be using Romualdez, Co for leverage

Big-time government contractor Curlee Discaya denied Tuesday that he had direct dealings with House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, whom he just tagged as among lawmakers allegedly receiving commissions from flood control projects.

“I just want to clarify that I have no direct transaction; I have not had any kind of transaction with them," Discaya told the House committee on infrastructure probing flood control anomalies.

Discaya further explained that his testimony in the Senate’s parallel investigation held a day earlier, where he tagged Romualdez and Co, was not based on first-hand knowledge but hearsay.

He said he only linked the solons because their names were frequently mentioned by their colleagues, whom he accused of demanding a 10 to 25 percent cut from their construction firms for every flood control project awarded to them.

“There are many instances in which the names of Zaldy Co and Speaker are often used. That’s why I want to inform the Speaker and Zaldy Co that these politicians may just be using your names [to gain leverage],” Discaya stated in Filipino.

Aside from members of the House, the new names to surface in the widening controversy over alleged flood control anomalies are Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, who were allegedly receiving at least 30 percent kickback for every project.

In the Senate hearing on Monday, Discaya claimed that Romualdez and Co had cuts for every flood control project, although the commissions were not directly delivered to them but coursed through Uswag Ilongo Rep. Jojo Ang, who also has kickback.

Discaya, who runs nine construction firms with his wife, Sarah, labeled it as a “condition” to ensure that the release and the implementation of the said projects will not incur delays or problems.

Aside from Romualdez, Co, and Ang, Discaya also named 16 lawmakers and public works and highways officials, whom he alleged pressured them into giving kickbacks in exchange for government contracts.

Romualdez was quick to deny Discaya’s accusations, pointing out that project implementations fall outside of Congress’ scope, and that executive agencies like the DPWH are the ones responsible for it.

“I have never, and I will never, accept a bribe from anybody…I am self-made…I do not need—and will never allow myself—to be corrupted by money that does not belong to me,” Romualdez contended, branding Discaya’s imputations “false [and] malicious.”

“If anyone invoked my name, they did so without my knowledge and without my consent. And if they did it to make money, they are the scammer and they should be held accountable,” the House chief contended.

Other members of the House implicated in the scheme, such as Reps. Marcy Teodoro, Patrick Michael Vargas, and Marivic Co-Pilar, and ex-lawmaker, now Mayor, Florida Robes announced that they will press charges against Discaya for wrongly accusing them.

Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier claimed that 67 House members in the previous Congress had complete control over the project funds because either they or their relatives were the contractors for the government’s flood mitigation program.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong made a similar accusation, alleging that lawmakers were receiving kickbacks of 30 to 40 percent from flood-control and infrastructure projects.