Camille Naredo

Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos Arjo Atayde during the first regular session of the 20th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos Arjo Atayde during the first regular session of the 20th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025.   Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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20th CONGRESS- OPENING SESSION

MJ Felipe

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/175732106590320250728-20th-congress-arjo-atayde-JC0376.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos Arjo Atayde during the first regular session of the 20th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos Arjo Atayde during the first regular session of the 20th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Quezon City 1st District Representative Arjo Atayde on Monday denied his involvement in a scheme involving contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya regarding government projects.</p><p>Atayde was one of several lawmakers and government officials tagged by the Discaya couple in alleged corruption in flood control projects.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/disacayas-says-corrupt-officials-used-them-in-anomalous-bidding-1114">READ: Discaya couple says lawmakers, DPWH execs &#x27;used&#x27; them in flood control anomalies</a></div><p>&quot;I categorically deny the allegation that I benefited from any contractor. I have never dealt with them,&quot; Atayde said in a statement. &quot;Hindi po totoo ang mga akusasyon na ito.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I have never used my position for personal gain, and I never will. I will avail of all remedies under the law to clear my name and hold accountable those who spread these falsehoods,&quot; he added.</p><p>A photo of Atayde with Sarah and Curlee Discaya has since made the rounds on social media, but the representative clarified that he has only met the contractors once.</p><p>&quot;Totoo na pumunta sa opisina namin ang mga Discaya. This was around 2022, and we met with them just like any visitor to our district office,&quot; Atayde explained.</p><p>&quot;It was a quick &#x27;hi, hello&#x27; and picture-taking since it wasn&#x27;t a planned meeting. It was the first and last time I met with them,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;We never talked anything about any project. And I’ve never dealt with them.&quot;</p><p>Atayde&#x27;s wife, TV host Maine Mendoza, came to his defense, calling the allegations &quot;baseless.&quot; &quot;Please refrain from throwing hate and personal attacks at him, including me and our family until facts come out. I am with my husband in this. Wala siyang ginagawang masama sa loob,&quot; Mendoza said on X (formerly Twitter).</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1964951922399666503&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-09-08T09%3A40%3A43.700867%3A8062ad06-7264-472e-9d69-86cec73f0f4e%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=fafc992f65e785e67aa3c2fb78fd93ecf83b70fb&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:345px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1964951922399666503"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>&quot;He has been doing his best to serve the people of his district in Quezon City since the beginning. I sincerely hope and pray that the people who are TRULY responsible will be held accountable and that innocent individuals be spared from this mess. Napaka unfair,&quot; she added.</p><p>The Discaya couple alleged that corrupt officials had forced them to join anomalous biddings and hand over money in exchange for securing projects. </p><p>Sarah Discaya said that their construction firm St. Gerrard Construction initially won projects under fair bidding processes, prompting the couple to establish more companies.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/lawmakers-deny-discaya-corruption-claims-in-flood-control-mess-1217">READ: Romualdez, lawmakers deny &#x27;false, malicious&#x27; Discaya corruption claims</a></div><p>They supposedly tried to report these incidents to the Department of Public Works and Highways, to no avail.  </p><p>Other lawmakers have rejected the Discayas&#x27; accusations, with House Speaker Martin Romualdez saying that he &quot;cannot and will not allow lies and name-dropping to pass unchecked.&quot;</p><p>Former lawmaker and now San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Mayor Florida Robes said she would file a libel case against the Discaya couple for tagging her in the flood control fiasco. -- <strong>with a report from Vivienne Gulla and Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</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/y0-yO1yj01o?&amp;pp=0gcJCcYJAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong></strong></div>

<p>Quezon City 1st District Representative Arjo Atayde on Monday denied his involvement in a scheme involving contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya regarding government projects.</p>

Quezon City 1st District Representative Arjo Atayde on Monday denied his involvement in a scheme involving contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya regarding government projects.

Arjo Atayde says 'never dealt' with Discayas, viral photo not from a planned meeting

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Arjo Atayde says 'never dealt' with Discayas, viral photo not from a planned meeting

MJ Felipe,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 08, 2025 04:50 PM PHT

Read More:

Arjo Atayde

flood control projects

Sarah Discaya

Curlee Discaya

Philippine Senate

Maine Mendoza

Quezon City

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