PASIG City Mayor Vico Sotto minced no words during Tuesday’s Infra-Comm hearing on ghost flood control projects, bluntly describing the controversial Discaya family contractors as habitual liars.
“Marami nga po tayong na-obserbahan na, you used the term inconsistencies, but I would like to be more direct. Kasinungalingan po talaga at lantarang kasinungalingan po yung sinasabi po nito,” Sotto said, referring to Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya and wife Sarah, owners of several construction firms under scrutiny, during the hearing of the Infra-Comm.
Sotto, who entered politics in 2016 as a councilor before being elected mayor in 2019, recounted how the Discayas had already been known in local political and construction circles when he first assumed office.
“Pagpasok ko sa politika ay medyo kilala na po sila, ang mga Discaya lalo na yung construction nila na St. Gerrard Construction na ito na nga po yung ginamit nila na parang political party na rin lalo na nung 2025 na halalan,” Sotto recalled.
He noted that many accounts had circulated about their dealings, though he limited his testimony to matters he had personally observed.
He pointed out that investigations and recent reports have exposed just how deeply entrenched the Discayas’ construction empire had become.
“What I can say is that they have nine construction firms that we have seen now in the news…. of the spouses Discaya where they have used dummies, where they have become huge contractors and all of these nine companies are based in Pasig,” Sotto told the committee.
He added that virtually all of the firms had pending tax deficiencies, some with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and certainly with the local government.
“Marami po silang violations recently they have been… Mr. Discaya has been recently convicted of two counts of building code violations so medyo notorious po ito,” Sotto revealed.
Sotto explained that while the Discaya firms continued to participate in local bidding during his term as mayor, this was only because Pasig enforced strict rules on open and public bidding.
“Nagsimula sila sa LGU and with regard to the question of the chair kahit noong mayor na ako nangongontrata pa rin sila sa LGU kasi pinapatupad po namin sa Pasig ay strict adherence to the law, which is open and public bidding,” he said.
Though the projects awarded in Pasig were modest, he observed that contracts from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ballooned to staggering levels.
“Napag-uusapan po ngayon na P30-P31 billion na flood control projects, katunayan flood control projects pa lang po ito. Hindi bababa sa P100 billion ang total contracts po nila sa ating pamahalaan,” he testified.
He then directly assailed their credibility, noting how their sworn statements grossly understated their profits.
“Isang very glaring na kasinungalingan ay ‘yung kahapon (Monday) po ‘no, yung sa sworn statement po nila na 2% to 3% lang daw ang kinikita nila sa bawat kontrata eh kahit naman po hindi ka eksperto sa larangan ng construction o engineering, obvious na obvious naman po na kasinungalingan ito,” he said.
Sotto also ridiculed the family’s claim that some contracts even caused them losses.
“Meron pa po, sabi po nila when Senator Tulfo was questioning them, sabi niya po lugi pa daw siya. Ang bait naman po ng mga ito tumatanggap sila ng kontrata sa gobyerno nagbi-bid sila para malugi,” the mayor said sarcastically.
Driving his point further, Sotto broke down the numbers, showing the impossibility of their claims.
“Although alam ko medyo iba po yung logic na ginagamit nila sa universe po nila pero pag tinignan po natin logically 2% to 3% of even a P100 billion hindi lang po P2 to P3 billion lang po ito,” he stressed.
“Sila naman po yung nagmalaki at nag-flaunt, pinagyabang po nila yung lifestyle po nila. Sabi nga po nila sa isang interview, 11 digits, sabi po nila ipinagyayabang po nila 11 digits. Sabi ni Maam Sara, 11 digits ang assets nila,” he reminded the committee.
“Nakita po natin isang jade lang sa office nila P100 million na kaagad yun, yung mga sasakyan if they paid the correct taxes it would easy reach almost a billion if not more than a billion. How can you afford that if you are only earning 2% to 3% profit,” he asked rhetorically.
Sotto said their own public pronouncements already revealed the contradictions in their defense.
“Buti na lang po ang isda ay nahuhuli sa sarili nilang bibig, buti nalang po ganun sila magsalita in public nalalaman natin ang mga katotohanan,” he told the panel.
The Pasig mayor cautioned that while it is true that corruption exists in different levels of government, the Discayas were deliberately trying to create chaos by dragging in as many names as possible without evidence.
“Alam naman po ng lahat ng tao sa kuwarto na ito na may guilty na senador, may guilty na congressman may guilty na DPWH officials may guilty na contractor maaaring sa iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan pero sa puntong ito nakikita po natin hindi lang sila basta naglalaglagan gusto nila magulo ang kwento, gusto nila lituhin tayo,” Sotto said.
“Gusto nila na hindi na natin malalaman yung totoo para eventually mawawala namang na parang bula magkakalituhan na tayo hindi na natin malalaman kung alin ang totoo sa hindi magbabanggit na lang ng kung ano wala naman silang pruweba o ebidensya,” he said.
“I think we really have to be careful because in our experience with them, in my experience with them Mr. Chair, these are people who are really capable of lying without batting an eyelash. We have to be very careful,” he said.
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