Discaya: I’m no Romualdez dummy

Contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya has denied being used by former House speaker Martin Romualdez to “front” the purchase of a luxury property in Makati City, insisting that he did not know him.

“That is not true. I have seen the former speaker in person only once and we didn’t even talk because he was talking to someone else,” Discaya said.

Discaya is a central figure in the ongoing flood control investigation after senators flagged his firms for allegedly overpriced and rigged public works contracts, particularly in Bulacan and other parts of Luzon.

The controversy involves billions of pesos’ worth of flood control projects suspected of being vehicles for kickbacks and ghost works, with contractors such as the Discayas accused of colluding with DPWH insiders.

In response, Senate investigators have pushed for “restitution” — the forfeiture of properties and assets believed to have been acquired through anomalous contracts — rather than relying solely on criminal cases that could take years to resolve.

It was in this context that Discaya said he was willing to allow a high-end Makati property to be treated as part of the restitution, even as he denied acting as a dummy for Romualdez.

“Even if my lawyers do not agree with the restitution, I will decide personally to allow the property in Makati to be returned to the public,” he said.

Discaya said the value of the Makati property would eclipse the other assets linked to the scandal.

“I am certain it will be the largest restitution, even if you combine those of DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, former DPWH regional director Gerard Opulencia, and contractor Sally Santos, because I am sure the properties in that Makati village are worth multi-billions,” he said.

He also accused the government of singling them out for public display, saying he feels targeted and pressured by those in power rather than being given a fair chance to explain.

“It’s not true that we are dummies of the former speaker. They just want to use us for media optics and treat us as sacrificial lambs,” Discaya said.

The Makati property angle was first raised by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, who said intelligence information pointed to Romualdez allegedly using the Discayas as fronts to acquire a house and lot in an exclusive Makati subdivision.

Lacson said he plans to meet with the former owner of the property ahead of the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Monday, 19 January, a move that could either bolster the allegation or clear Romualdez.

Romualdez has categorically dismissed the claim as “outright baseless,” saying he has “no knowledge nor involvement” in the purchase of the Makati property.