Sarah Discaya admits owning 9 construction firms that bid for same projects

Contractor Sarah Discaya on Monday admitted owning nine construction firms that bid for projects with the Department of Public Works and Highways, and that there were times when the said companies bid against each other for the same projects.

At the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Discaya answered in the affirmative when asked if she owned the following firms.

1. Alpha and Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
2. St. Gerrard Construction and Development Corp.
3. St. Timothy Construction Corp.
4. St. Matthew General Contractor and Development Corp.
5. Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.
6. Amethyst Horizon Builders and General Contractor, and Development Corp.
7. YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc.
8. Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor Inc., and
9. Way Maker One Person Corp. 

Discaya appeared in the hearing as the President of Alpha and Omega.

Asked by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada if all nine competed in the bidding for the same project, Discaya initially said, "No."

Pressed by the senator, Discaya said, "Si Alpha and Omega and St. Gerard, hindi po sila nagsasali sa isang bidding. Pero yung ibang licenses, magkakasama sila minsan."

(Alpha and Omega, and St. Gerard do not join the same bidding. But the other licenses are together at times.)

Were there times when nine competed for the same project?

"Yes, po," Discaya said.

"So that is not a legitimate bidding. Dahil yung siyam na 'yun na naglalaban-laban sa isang kontrata, iisa lang may ari. So kahit sino dun, kahit sinong manalo dun sa bidding na yun, ikaw ang panalo. Dahil sa'yo lahat yun eh. Correct? Tama?" Estrada said.

(So that is not a legitimate bid because the nine companies that bid for one contract belong to only one owner. Whoever wins, you win. Because all of those are yours. Correct?)

"Hindi po. Kasi iba-iba yung may-ari ng mga companies," Discaya said.

(No, because there are different owners of the companies.)

“Miss Discaya, kanina, sinabi mo, Alpha and Omega lang ang sa'yo.. Noong tinanong kita ulit, inumerate ko lahat yung siyam na korporasyon, inamin mo sa'yo lahat yun,” Estrada said. 

(Miss Diskaya, earlier, you said that only Alpha and Omega is yours... When I asked you again, and I enumerated all nine corporations, you admitted that all of them are yours.) 

“O, di ba, records will bear me out. O, ngayon, ang tinatanong ko sa'yo, yung bang siyam na korporasyon na yun, naglalaban-laban ba sa bidding yan? Naglalaban-laban. So pag naglalaban-laban yung syam na korporasyon sa isang kontrata, at kung sino manalo ron, kahit isa sa syam na manalo, sa'yo pa rin yun, ikaw pa rin ang panalo. Correct?” 

(See, the records will bear me out. Now, what I'm asking you, are those nine corporations competing in the bidding? They are competing. So when the nine corporations compete for one contract, and whoever wins, even if one of the nine wins, it's still yours, you're still the winner. Correct?)

Estrada pointed out that the owners of some of the companies which the Discaya couple are linked to are either their relatives or employees. For instance, the St. Timothy Construction is owned by Discaya’s niece Roma Angeline Rimando.

The Elite General Contractor is said to be owned by Rimando’s cousin Marie Tony Miligrito.

On the other hand, Amethyst Horizon Builders is owned by Discaya’s employee John Brian Eugenio.

Meanwhile, Discaya’s eldest son Gerald William is named as owner of Way Maker One Person Corp.

Further, Sarah’s husband Pacifico is named owner of the St. Gerrard Construction, St. Matthew General Contractor, and Alpha and Omega General Contractor. Meanwhile, Sarah is tagged as the owner of YPR General Contractor and Great Pacific Builders.

“So you confirm [na] lahat ng siyam na ‘yan ikaw ang may-ari?” Estrada asked Discaya.

(So do you confirm that you are the owner of all of these nine?)

She replied, “Part-owner.”

In another portion of the hearing, Senator Erwin Tulfo first asked Discaya about her and her husband's connections to the eight other companies: "How come that you are still a chief operating officer pati ang asawa mo sa ilang construction companies na ito?" 

(How is it that you and your wife are still chief operating officers of these construction companies?) 

"Hindi ako COO ng mga companies ito....CFO po, pero hindi COO," said Discaya, adding that she already divested from two companies. 

(I am not the COO of these companies... I'm the CFO, but not the COO.) 

Senator Risa Hontiveros, on the other hand, presented calling cards of Discaya's husband from construction companies showing that these are manned by her children, relatives, and employees. 

Before 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 in 2016. 

During the Senate hearing, Discaya was also called out after she revealed that she owns 28 luxury cars. –NB, GMA Integrated News