'OUTRIGHT BASELESS': Romualdez's camp denies using Discaya couple as 'front' in Makati property purchase

The camp of former House speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday dismissed as “outright baseless” reports alleging that contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya were used as “dummies” by the lawmaker for the purchase of a property in a plush subdivision in Makati.

Romualdez’s lawyer and spokesperson, Ade Fajardo, asserted that his client “has no knowledge nor involvement” in the purported transaction, which Senator Ping Lacson intends to add to the agenda of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee when it resumes its probe into the multi-billion-peso flood control scandal on Monday. 

“Rep. Romualdez has not met the Discayas and has only heard of them based on what is being said in media reports. As such, the claim in the report about using the Discayas as a front in a property purchase is outright baseless,” Fajardo said. 

The lawyer also took into account Curlee’s testimony during a parallel investigation into the flood control saga in the House, where he said that he had “no direct transaction” with Romualdez regarding the kickbacks from government infrastructure projects bagged by their now-closed construction firms. 

“Let us be reminded that allegations cannot override testimony given under oath. Facts cannot be replaced by speculation,” Fajardo averred. 

“Noise does not convict. Neither does it indict even who may be perceived as the most guilty in the… flood control project saga. Only evidence does,” Fajardo added, quoting Lacson’s statement in an earlier briefing. 

Recall that in a Blue Ribbon hearing in September last year, Curlee tagged 19 House lawmakers, including Romualdez and resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, as allegedly receiving 10 to 25 percent “commissions” for every flood control project awarded to their several firms, which he ran with his wife, Sarah. 

The commission serves as a “condition” to ensure that government infrastructure projects will be awarded to Discaya firms and that the release and implementation of the projects will not incur delays or problems. 

Discaya accused Romualdez and Co, the chairperson of the House appropriations committee in the previous Congress, of receiving a large cut of the commissions. 

Although he said the kickbacks were not directly delivered to Romualdez and Co but coursed through Uswag Ilongo Rep. Jojo Ang, who also has his separate cut.

Romualdez was quick to deny Curlee’s “false” and “malicious” accusations, asserting that he is a “self-made,” thus cannot be bribed by anyone. 

Curlee later amended his allegations against Romualdez when he faced a similar probe in the House shortly after facing the Senate. He told a House panel under oath that he had no direct dealings with Romualdez and Co, suggesting that their colleagues asking for commissions may be just using their names and position to gain leverage.

According to Romualdez’s lawyer, that sworn statement of Curlee was already part of the “official congressional record,” and that any moves to contradict it are nothing but a veiled effort to revive public discourse. 

Fajardo reiterated that Romualdez “respects institutional processes and is confident that any fair and evidence-based inquiry will ultimately prove him right.”