NBI orders probe on new building contractors

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Jaime Santiago said Wednesday that two construction companies owned by the controversial Discaya family were awarded a P2.5-billion contract to build a new NBI headquarters in Manila.

“The NBI building, it was torn down to build a new one,” Santiago said. “We asked for an initial budget of P2.5 billion through the Department of Public Works and Highways. The DPWH held the bidding for the contractors... two construction companies are both Discaya-owned properties.”

Santiago expressed concern over the discovery and has ordered a thorough investigation.

“We are investigating other people’s homes, but our own house has a problem, too,” he said.

“I’m not saying there was a scam, but then we are investigating... what if our building will not be completed because of substandard steel, and if an earthquake happens, our building might collapse. We will investigate this thoroughly,” he added.

Santiago also revealed that the NBI’s investigation, in coordination with the Securities and Exchange Commission, found that the bidding process for several flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways was rigged.

He said the probe uncovered a pattern of collusion among contractors, finding that as many as eight of the 15 companies that secured the majority of the flood control project budget shared common officers and directors.

Santiago added that the discovery points to a deliberate manipulation of the bidding process to ensure certain companies won contracts.

However, he declined to name the implicated firms or individuals but said the government’s focus has shifted to dismantling these fraudulent networks and recovering stolen funds.

The NBI’s revelations come as Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said eight construction firms owned by contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya cornered 27 flood control projects worth P1.52 billion in the city.

The discovery supports the Discayas’ sworn affidavit to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, in which they implicated four Quezon City lawmakers — Representatives Marvin Rillo, Juan Carlos Atayde, Patrick Michael Vargas and Marivic Co Pilar. All four representatives have denied the allegations.

Belmonte cited that the problem runs deeper, pointing out that of the 15 contractors previously identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his exposé on anomalous DPWH projects, seven of them secured 24 projects worth P1.63 billion in Quezon City alone.

City Engineer Atty. Dale Perral reported widespread discrepancies after checking 331 projects. He said 170 projects were not listed in the 2022–2025 National Expenditure Program, and 305 did not align with the city’s Drainage Master Plan.