Rowegie Abanto

Flood victims and disaster survivors led by People Surge, the National Alliance of Disaster Survivors, protest in front of the St. Gerrard Construction Company office in Pasig City on Thursday, September 4, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Vico rejects 'violence' at Discaya property protest

Harlene Delgado

Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><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/175696858898982f11ad0-908a-4e9c-a626-5234242de419.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Flood victims and disaster survivors led by People Surge, the National Alliance of Disaster Survivors, protest in front of the St. Gerrard Construction Company office in Pasig City on Thursday, September 4, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Flood victims and disaster survivors led by People Surge, the National Alliance of Disaster Survivors, protest in front of the St. Gerrard Construction Company office in Pasig City on Thursday, September 4, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday reminded protesters frustrated with corruption in flood control projects to &quot;not resort to violence,&quot; vowing his local government&#x27;s fight to make personalities accountable continues.</p><p>Protesters on Thursday threw mud at the gate of St. Gerrard Construction in Pasig City, one of the companies owned by controversial government contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya, and spray-painted the words &quot;magnanakaw&quot; (thief), &quot;corrupt,&quot; and &quot;ikulong&quot; (jail them).</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/4/protesters-hurl-mud-mark-magnanakaw-on-discaya-compound-in-pasig-1247">Protesters throw mud, write &#x27;magnanakaw&#x27; on Discaya compound in Pasig</a></div><p>&quot;I understand that we are angry and frustrated, but let&#x27;s not resort to violence or acts that could potentially lead to violence or injuries,&quot; Sotto said in a Facebook post.</p><p>He said the mud and stones thrown at the gate would not hit the Discayas and that he was worried that St. Gerrard staff or the protesters would get hurt if things escalate.</p><p>&quot;Don&#x27;t feel hopeless... the momentum is on the right side now!!!&quot;</p><p>He assured the public that the Pasig government will continue to do its part with the investigation, case build-up, and even prosecution, &quot;not just for the Discaya companies.&quot;</p><p>Sotto said they would do &quot;anything we can do to help.&quot;</p><p>He shared that they had initial exchanges of information and coordination with at least five national government agencies in relation to the probe.</p><p>&quot;Nararamdaman din namin na bumibilis ang kilos nila ngayon,&quot; he noted.</p><p>(We do feel that they are acting more quickly now)</p><p>Sotto added that the filing of criminal and administrative cases against illegal building structures and businesses with tax delinquencies would continue.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;VERY UNFORTUNATE&#x27;</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the protest outside the Discaya property in Pasig was &quot;very unfortunate,&quot; and the government is &quot;not encouraging people to do that.&quot;</p><p>Law enforcement has to maintain law and order, Remulla said, noting that the protest in Pasig could &quot;trigger a kind of hysteria that we don&#x27;t need in this country.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Kailangan natin stable tayo (We need stability),&quot; he said.</p><p>Protesters argued that what the Discayas allegedly did was far worse than throwing mud and stones.</p><p>&quot;Mas salaula naman po &#x27;yung ginawa nilang pagnanakaw sa mga mamamayan... Ang mga bahay natin dahil sa mga putik at baha. Mas salaula &#x27;yung ugali ng mga magnanakaw at dapat silang managot,&quot; said Jonila Castro, spokesperson of environmental group Kalikasan.</p><p>(Their theft of public money is much more immoral. We lost homes yo mud and flooding. Thieves&#x27; actions are much worse and they should be held accountable)</p><p>The protesters said they would demand accountability at the properties and homes of other contractors and government officials allegedly involved in corruption.</p><p>On Monday, Sarah Discaya confirmed owning 28 luxury cars and denied having ghost projects as she faced the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>Discaya maintained the cars were not purchased with taxpayers&#x27; money.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PALACE URGES CALM</strong></div><p>The Palace also appealed to the public not to resort to violence, saying the investigation into the flood control controversy is underway.</p><p>Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said they do not want violence to emerge, just like <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/1/thousands-protest-in-indonesia-as-military-deployed-in-capital-2335">what is happening in Indonesia</a>, emphasizing that the President wants due process to prevail in the flood control probe.</p><p>&quot;So, inuutos naman din po ng Pangulo sa mga concerned government agencies natin, sa mga law enforcement natin na huwag ninyo pong hayaan na mangyari po ito,&quot; she said.</p><p>(The President has also ordered concerned government agencies, our law enforcement, to not let incidents like this happen) </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><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/_4sSdgDGlgw?&amp;t=1s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday reminded protesters frustrated with the supposed corruption in flood control projects to "not resort to violence," vowing his local government's fight to make personalities accountable continues.</p>

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday reminded protesters frustrated with the supposed corruption in flood control projects to "not resort to violence," vowing his local government's fight to make personalities accountable continues.

'Let's not resort to violence,' Vico Sotto tells protesters at Discaya property

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'Let's not resort to violence,' Vico Sotto tells protesters at Discaya property

Harlene Delgado,

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 04, 2025 03:13 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 04, 2025 05:26 PM PHT

Read More:

Vico Sotto

Sarah Discaya

Pasig

Boying Remulla

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