Discaya clarifies: No direct transaction with Speaker Romualdez, Zaldy Co

Contractor Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya II clarified on Tuesday that he did not have any personal transactions with Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.

Discaya made the statement a day after alleging that Romualdez and Co were mentioned to him repeatedly by at least one politician and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) representatives, respectively, in relation to commissions off flood control projects.

"Kasi marami pong tumatawag sa akin na kung ako po ba may direct transaction kay Zaldy Co at Speaker, gusto po lang pang linawin sa kanila na wala po akong direct transaction... wala po akong direktang transaction sa kanila," Discaya told the House Infrastructure Committee, referring to Romualdez and Co.

(I have received many calls asking if I had direct transactions with Zaldy Co and the Speaker. I would like to clarify that I did not have any direct transactions... I did not have any direct transactions with them.)

In the Monday hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Discaya identified congressmen who demanded 10% to 25% as their share from flood control project costs.

Discaya then said DPWH representatives often mentioned that kickbacks from flood control projects were to be delivered to Co.

Co, former chair of the House appropriations committee, has branded as "baseless and irresponsible" all the accusations leveled against him during the Senate hearing, saying these were "politically motivated" and meant to "mislead the public and deflect accountability."

He was an incorporator of Sunwest Inc., the fifth leading flood control project contractor in the Bicol Region, before reportedly divesting from the firm.

Also during the Senate hearing, Discaya said Quezon City Representative Marvin Rillo repeatedly mentioned Romualdez as a close friend. Rillo is among the House members tagged by Discaya who allegedly asked for their share in the flood control projects.

Romualdez has called the claim of Discaya as false, malicious, and nothing more than name-dropping.

"Hindi po ako nagkaroon ng anumang klaseng transaction sa kanila. So marami pang pagkakataon sa mga nabanggit ko na madalas nilang gamitin ang pangalan ni Zaldy Co at Speaker. Kaya nga po, gusto ko iparating kay Speaker at Zaldy Co na baka nagagamit lang ng mga politikong ito ang inyong pangalan," Discaya said.

(I did not have any form of transaction with them. So there many other instances involving the personalities that I mentioned that they often name-dropped Zaldy Co and the Speaker. So I would just like relay to the Speaker and Zaldy Co that these politicians were just using their names.)

Meanwhile, Rillo has denied name-dropping Romualdez, as claimed by Discaya.

"Hindi ko kailanman ginamit, pinahiram, o inangkin ang pangalan ni Speaker Martin Romualdez (I have never used, lent, or claimed the name of Speaker Martin Romualdez). It is both deplorable and unacceptable that my name—and even the name of the Speaker—has been carelessly and maliciously dragged into these falsehoods," Rillo said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News