THE Discaya couple, owner of two of the 15 construction firms that cornered the most number of flood control projects from the government from 2022 to 2025, has named several congressmen and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials allegedly involved in corruption in flood-mitigating projects.
In a joint sworn statement of spouses Pacifico and Sarah Discaya, which they read during the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into irregularities in the flood control projects on Monday, September 8, 2025, the couple exposed a “system” where contractors had to “pay” lawmakers from the House of Representatives in order to continue doing business with the government.
“Sabi nila, dapat tanggapin namin ang realidad na dapat kaming magbayad sa mga mambabatas kung gusto pa naming magpatuloy na magkaroon ng projects sa gobyerno. Kung hindi, binabala nila na matatanggal sa listahan ang kumpanya namin at hindi na makakakuha ng kahit anong proyekto… Hindi namin ginusto kailanman na mapasama sa ganitong sistema, pero kailangan naming magpatuloy para sa pamilya at mga empleyado,” Pacifico said.
(They said we should accept the reality that we have to pay lawmakers if we want to continue getting government projects. Otherwise, they warned that our company would be removed from the list and would no longer be able to secure any project… We never wanted to be part of such a system, but we have to carry on for the sake of our family and employees.)
“Ang hinihingi nilang porsyento ay hindi bababa sa 10 percent at umaabot pa sa 25 percent, na naging kundisyon upang hindi maipit ang implementasyon ng kontrata. Ito ay ibinibigay namin sa kanila ng cash. Ang bawat transaksyon ay may karampatang voucher at ledger na nagsasaad ng mga araw kung kailan nila ito natanggap,” he added.
(The percentage they demanded was no less than 10 percent and could reach up to 25 percent, which became a condition to prevent delays in the implementation of the contract. We gave this to them in cash. Each transaction had a corresponding voucher and ledger indicating the dates when they received it.)
The couple named the following personalities as involved in the scheme:
Terrence Calatrava -- Former undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas of the Philippines
Cong. Roman Romulo of Pasig
Cong. Jojo Ang of Uswag llonggo Partylist
Cong. Patrick Michael Vargas of Quezon City
Cong. Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde of Quezon City
Cong. Nicanor "Nikki" Briones of AGAP Partylist
Cong. Marcelino "Marcy" Teodoro of Marikina
Cong. Florida "Rida" Robes of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Cong. Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon
Cong. Benjamin "Benjie" Agarao Jr. of Laguna
Cong. Florencio Gabriel "Bem" Noel of An-Waray Partylist
Cong. Leody "Odie" Tarriela of Quezon City
Cong. Reynante "Reynan" Arrogancia of Quezon Province
Cong. Marvin Rillo of Quezon City
Cong. Teodorico "Teodoro" Haresco Jr. of Aklan
Cong. Antonieta Eudela of Zamboanga Sibugay
Cong. Dean Asistio of Caloocan
Cong. Marivic Co Pillar of Quezon City
The couple said the following individuals had repeatedly claimed that the “commission,” which is a minimum of 25 percent for each flood control project, will be “delivered” to House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co:
Regional Director Eduarte Virgilio of DPWH Region 5
Director Ramon A. Arriola III of Unified Project Management Offices (UPMO)
District Engineer Henry Alcantara of DPWH Bulacan 1st
Undersecretary Robert Bernardo
District Engineer Aristotle Ramos of DPWH Metro Manila 1st
District Engineer Manny Bulusan of DPWH North Manila District Engineering Office (DEO)
District Engineer Edgardo C. Pingol of DPWH Bulacan Sub-DEO
District Engineer Michael Rosaria of DPWH Quezon 2nd DEO
Virgilio and Alcantara, who were present during the hearing, denied the couple’s claim.
In their respective statements, Madrona, Robes, and Tarriela all denied the allegations of the Discaya couple.
Pacifico said Rillo and Ang also repeatedly mentioned Romualdez and Co, who pushed for flood control funding through unprogrammed funds and insertions in the national budget.
“Karamihan sa mga kawani ng DPWH na nabanggit sa itaas ay paulit-ulit na binabanggit ang delivery ng pera ay para kay Zaldy Co, na dapat ay at least 25 percent,” he said.
(Most of the DPWH personnel mentioned above repeatedly said that the money delivered was for Zaldy Co, and that it should be at least 25 percent.)
He said they also personally handed over commission to the following individuals:
Cong. Antonieta Eudela and wife
Cong. Marvin Rillo
Cong. Nikki Briones of Agap Partylist
Arturo N. Atayde -- father of Cong. Arjo Atayde
Cong Florencio Gabriel "Ben" Noel of An-Waray Partylist
Cong. Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon
Cong. Benjamin "Benjie" Agarao Jr.
Based on the assumption as the basis to compute the actual costing based on standard experience between 2022 to 2025 presented by the Discayas, of the total winning bid for each project, 43 percent goes to commission or “SOPs,” which includes 25 percent for Co and Romualdez, five percent for congressional pass through, six percent for buy-out fee of the bids and awards committee of the DPWH, and seven percent for DPWH district engineers and regional directors.
Seven percent goes to tax payment.
Panel chairman Senator Rodante Marcoleta said based on this computation, only the remaining 35 to 38 percent is being spent on the project.
“Kaya nagsasuffer ang project (That’s why the project is suffering),” he said.
The committee has issued a subpoena for the Discaya couple to submit the “ledger,” which contains information, such as the name of the receiver of the commission, date and amount.
Pacifico said the payout of the commission usually happens before the project is awarded to the winning bidder, which means they have to shell out their own money for the “SOPs” in order to secure the project.
“Wala pong resibo kasi no paper trail po lahat ng transaction pero meron po kaming ledger sa office namin. Pag pinapirma po namin sila, hindi sila pipirma doon kumbaga para matandaan lang naming na nung panahon na ito, nung araw na ito nagbigay kami ng ganitong halaga, records lang po namin,” he said.
(There are no receipts because all the transactions left no paper trail, but we have a ledger in our office. When we asked them to sign, they refused, so the ledger only served as our reminder that on this date and time, we gave a certain amount -- it’s just for our own records.)
“Ang pinakamatibay na ebidensya ‘yung natuloy ang project kasi pag hindi nakakapagbigay, magkakaproblema ang project,” he added.
(The strongest evidence is that the project was implemented, because if we failed to give, the project would encounter problems.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)