Rowegie Abanto

Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya, owners of St. Gerrard Construction Company, attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya, owners of St. Gerrard Construction Company, attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 8, 2025.
Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Curlee contradicts wife's admission

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175816793567920250908-senate-blue-ribbon-discayas-16.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya, owners of St. Gerrard Construction Company, attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya, owners of St. Gerrard Construction Company, attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 8, 2025. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Government contractor Pacifico &quot;Curlee&quot; Discaya on Thursday denied that the construction firms he and his wife Sarah own bid against each other for the same projects.</p><p>When Sarah attended the Senate hearing into alleged corruption in flood control projects for the first time on September 1, she admitted to owning nine construction companies and said that, on occasion, the firms bid against each other for one contract.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/disacayas-says-corrupt-officials-used-them-in-anomalous-bidding-1114">Discaya couple says lawmakers, DPWH execs &#x27;used&#x27; them in flood control anomalies</a></div><p>But when asked by Sen. Risa Hontiveros during the resumption of the Senate hearing Thursday if the Discaya firms were also bidding against each other on the same government contract in Quezon City, Curlee said, &quot;No.&quot;</p><p>The senator then pointed to Sarah&#x27;s earlier Senate admission that their firms had bid against each other.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/qc-gov-t-says-66-flood-control-projects-cannot-be-found-in-the-city-1748">QC gov&#x27;t says 66 flood control projects cannot be found in the city</a></div><p>Curlee said his wife was only &quot;confused&quot; at the time, and that based on their records, their firms were not engaged in the scheme.</p><p>&quot;Kinakabahan lang po siya, pero sa record namin, wala po, wala pong naglalabanan,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/3/9-discaya-firms-lose-licenses-for-bidding-against-each-other-on-projects-1249">9 Discaya firms lose licenses for bidding against each other on projects</a></div><p>He explained that they had already divested from some of their companies. </p><p>At present, he said he only owns one company, which is St. Gerrard Construction.</p><p>Earlier this month, the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/3/9-discaya-firms-lose-licenses-for-bidding-against-each-other-on-projects-1249">revoked the contractors&#x27; licenses of nine companies owned or controlled</a> by the Discayas.</p><p>PCAB said Sarah&#x27;s admission that she owns or controls the nine firms, which had participated in bidding for government projects, influences the outcome of public bidding, manipulates results, and corners public projects.</p><p>It said that the setup undermines transparency, fairness, and competition, which violates procurement laws and licensing requirements.</p><p>Curlee and Sarah&#x27;s companies and joint ventures bagged P31 billion in flood control projects from 2022 to 2025.</p><p>Sarah skipped Thursday&#x27;s Senate hearing, citing a prior commitment to meet with her employees to discuss the problems their companies were facing. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/-binabastos-mo-kami-curlee-discaya-cited-in-contempt-for-allegedly-lying-1036">&#x27;Binabastos mo kami&#x27;: Senate panel cites Curlee Discaya in contempt for allegedly lying about wife&#x27;s absence</a></div><p>Meanwhile, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon believes there was bid rigging in the anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>“Hindi po, hindi po mangyayari ito kung wala pong kung malinis po transparent ang proseso ng procurement at the either the district levels or the regional levels. Mister Chairman. Hindi po, hindi po mangyayari ito,&quot; Dizon said.</p><p>Sen. Bam Aquino said those behind the rigging of bids for the flood control projects could be punished under competition laws and could lead to the recovery of flood control funds through fines.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/dpwh-initiating-warranty-claims-vs-ghost-substandard-flood-control-projects-1005">DPWH initiating warranty claims vs ghost, substandard flood control projects</a></div><div><strong>— With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kpbqr2s2yEY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Government contractor Curlee Discaya on Thursday denied that the construction firms owned by him and his wife, Sarah Discaya, were bidding against each other for the same project.</p>

Government contractor Curlee Discaya on Thursday denied that the construction firms owned by him and his wife, Sarah Discaya, were bidding against each other for the same project.

'Kinakabahan lang siya': Curlee contradicts wife, says Discaya firms not bidding against each other

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'Kinakabahan lang siya': Curlee contradicts wife, says Discaya firms not bidding against each other

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 18, 2025 12:07 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 18, 2025 03:23 PM PHT

Read More:

Curlee Discaya

Sarah Discaya

Flood Control

Senate Hearing

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