It turns out Pinoy showbiz is concretely affected by the shenanigans of the Discaya couple, as infrastructure builders who are allegedly adept at corruption.
We initially thought that only actor-politicians Jinggoy Estrada and Arjo Atayde were allegedly entangled in the anomalies that led to massive flooding in the country about a month ago.
Now we know that there’s a building meant to house serious and orchestrated efforts at promoting filmmaking in the country as an art and as an industry, which stands unfinished despite being fully paid for its completion due to the Discaya couple’s alleged manipulation of the bidding and collusion with some officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
We’re referring to the Philippine Film Heritage Building in Intramuros, Manila, which is scheduled to be occupied next month by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, headed by the indefatigable filmmaker-educator Joey Javier Reyes, under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos. (The task was first assigned to actor Tirso Cruz III, who resigned for health reasons after a few months).
The building’s construction was awarded, most likely through questionable bidding, to Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor Inc., one of the nine firms owned by the extravagant couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya. (Despite the androgynous pet name, Curlee is a biological male, not a trans).
Reyes found the new building not ready for occupancy when he visited it on 4 September, along with First Lady Liza Marcos Araneta, who has been quietly supporting the Philippine entertainment industry.
The Discaya couple has yet to be hauled to court, though they have faced senators in investigative hearings, which were initially attended by Estrada. The senator stopped turning up at the sessions “in aid of legislation” on the day a former DPWH district engineer accused him of demanding (and receiving!) millions of pesos as his supposed share in facilitating the release of funds for certain DPWH projects. Quezon City’s first district congressman, Atayde, was accused on the same day by the same ex-DPWH official.
Weeks after the accusations, Sen. Estrada was “revealed” by ex-actor Robby Tarroza as being responsible for the breakup between him (Tarroza) and fellow ex-actor Joed Serrano. The senator has not reacted to the accusation. Ditto for Serrano regarding the break-up allegedly caused by the senator.
Meanwhile, following Rep. Atayde’s denial of demanding and receiving cash from the Discaya couple — and his wife Maine Mendoza’s persistent defense of his reputation as an upright politician — some YouTube vloggers reminded the public that the legislator’s father, Arthur Atayde, was jailed for two years for carnapping.
On the other hand, the congressman’s mother, actress-producer Sylvia Sanchez, was a bar sexy dancer before she made it to the movies. Sanchez was known as “Candy Corrales” in the beerhouses, reminded the YouTube vlogger.
Only one other actress has defended Atayde’s reputation as a congressman: Ynez Veneracion, who used to be a bar sexy dancer herself.
Mendoza has announced that her husband will sue the Discaya couple and Brice Hernandez, the ex-DPWH engineer who accused Rep. Atayde of demanding and receiving cash. The Eat Bulaga! co-host has yet to file any case in court.
Sen. Ping Lacson, now very prominent again in the Senate, led by the showbiz-built Tito Sotto, has just revealed that even DPWH employees involved in processing papers for construction projects earn on the side a few hundred thousand pesos from the contractors.
Fortunately, we remain a cheery and peaceful country whose people flock to shows and concerts in between posting on social media of their disgust and disappointment about corruption in our ever-intractable government.