At the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s third hearing on questionable flood control projects held Monday, September 8, contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II dropped a bombshell, naming several lawmakers and officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) whom he accused of demanding money in exchange for securing government contracts. They are:
- Terrence Calatrava
- Cong. Roman Romulo
- Cong. Jojo Ang
- Cong. Patrick Michael Vargas
- Cong. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde
- Nicanor Briones
- Cong. Marcy Teodoro
- Cong. Florida Robes
- Cong. Elijandro Madronio
- Cong. Benjamin Agarao Jr.
- Cong. Florencio Noel
- Cong. Reynante Arrogancia
- Cong. Marvin Rillo
- Cong. Leody Tarriela
- Cong. Teodoro Haresco
- Cong. Antonieta Eudela
- Cong Dean Asistio
- Cong. Marivic Co-pilar
Discaya claimed that these individuals allegedly solicited payments as part of a “pay-to-play” system, where contractors were pressured to provide kickbacks to guarantee winning bids for public infrastructure projects.
The revelations added new fuel to the Senate’s ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control programs, which have long been criticized for being prone to corruption and misuse of public funds.
The panel vowed to thoroughly review Discaya’s testimony, as the accusations implicate sitting officials and raise questions about the integrity of the government’s procurement processes.
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