House panel compels Discaya, flood contractors to face Sept. 9 probe

The three-panel House Infrastructure Committee (InfraComm) has issued a subpoena to Sarah Discaya of Alpha & Omega General Construction and other contractors for them to appear on the September 9 inquiry on alleged anomalous flood control projects, panel chairperson and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.

The subpoena, dated September 4, also covers Mark Arevalo of Wawao Builders Corp., Miguel Juntura of St. Timothy Construction Corp., Romeo Miranda of Royal Crown Monarch Construction, and Sally Santos of Syms Construction Trading.

“Please be advised that failure to comply with this Order will constrain the Committee to resort to Section 11 of the Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation of the House of Representatives on the power of contempt,” the subpoena ad testificandum read.

The following construction firms were listed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in the top 15 contractors with over P500 billion worth of government flood control projects, which are not necessarily located in areas that are flood-prone.

Further, the House InfraComm requested the Justice department to issue an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order for Santos and former Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) executive director Herbert Matienzo.

The PCAB earlier revoked the contractor's licenses of nine construction companies owned and controlled by Discaya after she admitted before a Senate inquiry that her companies were able to bid for government contracts simultaneously.

During Friday’s budget hearing of the Department of Public Works and Highways, House appropriations panel chairperson Mikaela Suansing said that only flood control projects in flood-prone areas should be funded under the proposed 2026 national budget. —LDF, GMA Integrated News