By Wilnard Bacelonia | Philippine News Agency
Senators on Monday raised suspicions that construction companies owned by Sarah Discaya and her relatives were being favored in bidding for flood control and other infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
During the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s inquiry into alleged anomalous flood control projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada pressed Discaya to explain how her family’s nine companies were consistently winning government contracts.
Records presented at the hearing showed that Alpha and Omega General Contractor & Development Corporation alone secured 71 flood control projects in 2022 out of 491 bidding attempts, while St. Timothy Construction Corporation, managed by a relative, bagged 145 projects since 2022.
Estrada questioned why Discaya firms seemed to corner hundreds of contracts, raising concerns that they might have been given early access to project listings from DPWH insiders.
“Nakakapagtaka dahil kayo lagi nakakuha ng DPWH contracts. Sino ba talaga sa DPWH ang nagbibigay sa inyo listahan ng mga projects for bidding?” Estrada said.
Discaya denied having special access and insisted that her companies only participated in public biddings posted on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), the government’s online procurement platform.
“Wala po akong nakakausap sa DPWH. Nakikita lang namin sa PhilGEPS at sumasali kami sa bidding na alam naming qualified kami,” she told the panel.
She admitted, however, that her office staff was limited to about 200 employees, prompting Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros to ask whether the firms were renting out their licenses to boost capacity.
“Kahit 200 lang ang staff sa opisina, kaya nilang mag-implement ng halos 500 projects in a year,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros also presented nine calling cards linked to Pacifico “Curly” Discaya, Sarah’s husband, showing his name tied to several of the companies.
This, she said, underscored the family’s control over multiple firms participating in the same pool of DPWH projects.
Estrada warned Discaya against evading questions, demanding that she submit documentation and photos proving the completion of more than 400 projects she claimed to have undertaken since 2022.
“Kung wala kayong kasalanan, magsabi kayo ng totoo. Dahil kung hindi, mananagot kayo hindi lamang sa batas at sa Senado, kundi sa taong bayan,” Estrada said.
Senators press Discaya on luxury cars, dealer link to smuggling
Senators also probed into Discaya’s ownership of luxury vehicles, pressing her to explain how she acquired at least 28 high-end cars while cornering hundreds of government flood control contracts.
At the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on anomalous flood control projects, Estrada grilled Discaya on her car fleet, which includes a Rolls-Royce Cullinan worth about P42 million, a Maybach valued at P22 million, a Bentley pegged at P20 million, Cadillac Escalades, GMC units, and multiple Range Rovers.
Estrada expressed disbelief that one family could accumulate such wealth.
“Ngayon lang ako nakarinig na isang tao o mag-asawa na ganito kadami ang kotse na mamahalin,” he said.
Discaya admitted to owning 28 cars, clarifying that the figure included service vehicles under her companies.
“Kasi kasama pa ‘yong mga service cars ng mga employees ko that is owned by the company,” she said.
She added that some of the cars were bought through installment plans, not cash.
Hontiveros also questioned Discaya on the conflicting numbers she had given in past interviews, where she mentioned owning as many as 40 cars.
“So ilan po ‘yong mga sasakyan sa inyo at inyong pamilya?” Hontiveros asked, to which Discaya replied: “28.”
Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III revealed that Frebel Enterprises, identified by Discaya as one of her car dealers, was flagged by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for smuggling high-end vehicles, including Bugattis and Mercedes-Benz units.
“’Yong sinabi niya, pinagbilhan niya, ‘yong Frebel Enterprises, ito ‘yong mga na-charge ng BOC ng smuggled Bugatti, Chiron. Puro smuggled ang mga sasakyan nito,” Sotto said.
Estrada then pressed Discaya on whether she owned a Bugatti.
“May Bugatti ka, no?” he asked, to which she quickly responded, “Wala po.”
The inquiry, chaired by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, is scrutinizing alleged ghost and substandard projects under the government’s flood control program, with senators saying billions in public funds may have been misused.
