Marilyn Cahatol

Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya II attends the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on anomalous flood control projects on Thursday, September 18, 2025. The hearing was attended by officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways led by Sec. Vince Dizon, along with representatives of contractors implicated in alleged ghost and substandard projects nationwide.

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

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/175860472593120250918-senate-flood-control-st-gerrard-curlee-discaya-JC0335.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya II attends the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on anomalous flood control projects on Thursday, September 18, 2025. The hearing was attended by officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways led by Sec. Vince Dizon, along with representatives of contractors implicated in alleged ghost and substandard projects nationwide. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA — Government contractor Curlee Discaya on Tuesday said the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) negotiates the rigged biddings for public infrastructure projects with lawmakers and contractors. </p><p>Discaya, during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/senate-conducts-fifth-flood-control-hearing-as-authorities-race-to-preserve-corruption-evidence-0900">fifth </a>hearing on the anomalous flood control projects, said that contractors &quot;buy&quot; projects from congressmen, and rig the public bidding through BAC’s help.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/henry-alcantara-tags-revilla-estrada-villanueva-co-in-budget-insertions-kickbacks-1041">Ex-DPWH official Henry Alcantara tags Revilla, Estrada, Villanueva, Co in budget insertions, kickbacks<br/></a></div><p>“Sa umpisa pa lamang ay rigged na ang bidding dahil hindi pa nagsisimula ang bidding ay may nakabili na ng proyekto o may mga nakatakda nang manalo,” said Discaya. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SOP</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>After securing a project, Discaya said a &quot;negotiator&quot; from BAC accommodates the taker—the contractor that bought the project—to ensure they will be qualified for the public bidding. </p><p>On the day of bidding, the negotiator controls who joins the bid using the bidding documents usually sold at P50,000, according to Discaya. “Kung sino ang makabili, sila lang ang pinayagang sumali sa public bidding.”</p><p>The negotiator also communicates with the players, or the contractors qualified to bid but are paid by the taker to lose. </p><p>Discaya said a maximum of 10 players are allowed to join in a bidding. </p><p>They receive one to three percent total “share” from the project’s amount for joining and losing.</p><p>Discaya added that the negotiator can disqualify contractors who refuse to follow this “standard operating procedure” by destroying their bidding documents, including the lowest bidder other than the taker.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;FORCED&#x27;<br/></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Contactors who refuse to follow this SOP are also threatened with project issues like mutual termination, right of way problems, or blacklisting after three times of non-compliance. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/22/house-panel-to-realign-p255-b-flood-control-funds-slashed-from-dpwh-s-proposed-2026-budget-2333">House panel to realign P255-B flood control funds slashed from DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget</a></div><p>He said the BAC secretary sometimes serves as the negotiator. </p><p>He said BAC may also be paid a “padulas” to smoothly handle the taker’s bidding documents. </p><p>“Sa ilang beses naming nakasali at nanalo ng bidding ay ilang beses din kaming tinutulungan ng BAC upang maayos ang mga papeles lalo na kung dapat ay ma disqualify kami dahil sa pagkakamali sa mga dokumento na aming isinusumite,” Discaya said during the Senate hearing. </p><p>Sometimes, the negotiator submits the contractors’ documents to their own office, said Discaya. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/curlee-discaya-undergoes-evaluation-for-doj-protection-bid-0945">DOJ starts evaluating Curlee Discaya&#x27;s witness protection bid</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>VARYING PERCENTAGES PER ADMINISTRATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Discaya said that the shares given to DPWH and involved lawmakers vary depending on the administration. </p><p>During former president Benigno Aquino III’s term, he said the share costs 10 percent of the project. </p><p>This number rose to 12 to 15 percent during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. </p><p>Under incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term, the share is at 25 to 30 percent of the project’s cost, said Discaya.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/-kayang-kaya-niya-marcos-trusts-dizon-can-clean-up-dpwh-1348">&#x27;Kayang-kaya niya&#x27;: Marcos trusts Dizon can clean up DPWH amid flood control mess</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jCcSFuu3CtE?si=NHCZmr2V1XucIwUw" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Curlee Discaya on Tuesday said the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) negotiates the rigged biddings for public infrastructure projects with lawmakers and contractors.</p>

Curlee Discaya on Tuesday said the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) negotiates the rigged biddings for public infrastructure projects with lawmakers and contractors.

Curlee Discaya says DPWH's own committee negotiates rigged biddings

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Curlee Discaya says DPWH's own committee negotiates rigged biddings

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 23, 2025 01:56 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 23, 2025 06:14 PM PHT

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Curlee Discaya

DPWH

BAC

Rigged bidding

Senate

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