The proposed restitution or the recovery of the stolen flood control funds will be a tedious challenge that would take a long time to realize, which may not fit the urgency the situation warrants.
In the wake of the relentless typhoons that have battered the Philippines, leaving communities submerged in water and grief, the flood control anomalies stand as a monument to grotesque betrayal.
Billions earmarked for resilient infrastructure — dikes, drainage systems and revetments meant to shield the vulnerable — were siphoned off into the coffers of corrupt contractors and complicit lawmakers and bureaucrats that went all the way up the political ladder.
Ghost projects, kickbacks and bid rigging turned public welfare and safety into private profit.
Even as the entire web of corruption continues to unfold, the big question in the public’s mind is whether the stolen funds will ever be recovered, and what and how long it will take.
There is a short way and a long way, a legal expert whispered to Nosy Tarsee.
The long way is the slow, deliberate system of criminal justice — prosecuting the culprits in the Sandiganbayan and the lower courts, which will take years to resolve. This process has just begun. The Ombudsman plans to file the first batch of cases within November, raising the possibility that those to be charged may be spending Christmas behind bars.
The short way would be to restore faith in governance and fortify the nation’s defenses against corruption.
The first beacon of recovery is shining at the Bureau of Customs, where the luxury vehicles seized from the Discaya couple — the contractors at the epicenter of the scandal — are primed for auction.
Sarah and Curlee Discaya, whose firms got tens of billions of pesos from more than 1,000 contracts between 2016 and 2025, amassed a fleet of 30 high-end cars, including Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis, imported with glaring irregularities. The BoC has seized 13 of the vehicles.
On 17 November, seven of the 13 cars will hit the auction block. The BoC expects to recover at least P103 million from the auction based on the floor prices it has set. Another P100 million is expected from the remaining six luxury vehicles.
The scandal’s underbelly — bid rigging — promises the richest vein yet. The DPWH has lodged 15 cases with the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), alleging collusion that inflated costs and stifled fair play. The Discaya’s empire alone, built on manipulated tenders for 421 ghost projects among 8,000 inspected, could yield P300 billion in fines under the Philippine Competition Act, up to P250 million per violation.
From the first batch of 15 cases pending in the PCC, the government hopes to generate P3.13 billion in fines for violations of the competition law. As these are administrative cases, resolution — and restitution — are expected within three to six months.
More than restitution, it’s deterrence against bid manipulation to ensure that future biddings will serve the public and not line the pockets of the corrupt and powerful.
Parallel to this, the Bureau of Internal Revenue has filed P7.7-billion worth of tax cases against the Discayas and the so-called “BGC Boys” at the DPWH.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has also wielded its freeze orders like a scalpel.
Since September, court-approved freezes have locked down P5.2 billion in assets: 836 bank accounts, 12 e-wallets, 24 insurance policies, 81 vehicles (valued at P474 million), and 12 real properties.
Targets include 20 DPWH officials — like former engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez — and six contractors from the infamous “Bulacan Group of Contractors,” accused of laundering funds through casinos and ghost firms. The net tightens around their cohorts, including former Rep. Elizaldy Co and his P4.7 billion in aviation assets.
With the anomalies’ totals eclipsing hundreds of billions, piecemeal recovery — P220 million here, P5.2 billion there — feels like bailing a sinking ship with a teacup. But it’s a huge — and quick — start.