Sarah Discaya claims viral video on DPWH contracts ‘spliced’

Sarah Discaya said Monday that her viral interview where she said her family acquired billions after engaging with the Department of Public Works and Highways was spliced. 

Discaya, president of the Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., said during the continuing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into the anomalous flood control projects that her family has been in the construction business for 23 years now. 

“We have been in the construction business for 23 years, so I would presume na in 23 years, pwede naman siguro po kaming kumita. 'Yung billion, when I said DPWH because prior to that we were in local government , so ang hirap makasingil sa local government. They spliced the video that was taken of me and just mentioned the DPWH,” she said. 

(We have been in the construction business for 23 years, so I would presume that in those 23 years, we could earn. The billions I said—I mentioned DPWH because prior to that, we were working for the local government and it’s hard to charge them. The interviewers spliced the video that was taken of me and just mentioned the DPWH.) 

Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III then asked her if she was saying that the news channel and the personalities who interviewed her edited her answers. 

“I think so, sir, kasi (because) I did mention that I was doing local government as well as private po,” Discaya answered. 

In the interviews, Discaya said that her life changed for the better when her family engaged with government contracts, particularly those with the DPWH. 

Prior to entering the construction business, the former Pasig City mayoral candidate said that she worked abroad as a dental receptionist and orthodontic nurse. She said her father and her husband were also contractors. 

Discaya also disclosed that her camp started joining the bidding of DPWH starting in 2012, and engaged in flood control projects beginning 2016. 

“Wala naman po. Nakita namin on PhilGEPS na may mga projects na pwede palang mag-join so we joined the bidding na we know that we were qualified for,” she said when asked by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada who influenced her to be a DPWH contractor. 

(No one encouraged us. We just saw on the PhilGEPS that there were projects we could join, so we joined the bidding we knew that we were qualified for.) 

Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp. is one of the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., which was said to have acquired 20% of the total P545 billion budget of flood control projects in the country.

Sarah Discaya’s husband, Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II, is also the owner of St. Gerrard General Contractor and Development Corporation, a company that was previously blacklisted by the DPWH. 

She also said that she divested her interest in other companies like the St. Timothy Construction Corporation—also one of the firms questioned by Marcos.

Asked by Estrada if she was linked to any ghost flood control projects, Discaya said, “Wala po (no).” 

“Dahil pagka meron kaming madiskubre na may ghost project, pakukulong kita rito. Aminin mo ang totoo,” Estrada warned. 

(You should tell the truth because if we discover any ghost project, I will have you detained here.) 

According to Discaya, Alpha & Omega joined the bidding for 491 projects in 2022, and secured only 71 projects. 

Luxury cars

Discaya also admitted to owning 28 luxury cars, such as Rolls-Royce, Cadillac, Maybach, and Range Rover. 

Asked if these cars were bought using the taxpayers' money, Discaya said, “no.”  —AOL, GMA Integrated News