Discayas ready to name past admin officials linked to flood control mess

Contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya are ready to name officials from past administrations who were supposedly linked to anomalous flood control projects, their lawyer said Wednesday.

In a press conference, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III said the Discayas only covered their projects from July 2022 onwards in the affidavit because this was the timeframe requested by the Senate.

“Definitely,” Samaniego said when asked if the couple is ready to give names from the past administrations if the Senate asks for them.

“Wala hong selective memory rito. Noong time ni Gloria (Arroyo), nagsumbong siya. Time ni PNoy (Aquino), nagsumbong siya. Time ni (Rodrigo) Duterte, nagpadyaryo siya. Huwag po nating ilihis 'yung laman ng affidavit kasi 'yung affidavit, tumatalima kami sa gustong mangyari ng Senado noong nagkaroon sila ng letter of invitation,” he added.

(There is no selective memory here. During Gloria's time, they filed a complaint. During PNoy's time, they filed a complaint. During Duterte's time, they published names. Let's not deviate from the content of the affidavit because in the affidavit, we are just complying with what the Senate asked when they sent a letter of invitation.)

The Discaya couple appeared on Senate and House hearings in the past days, where they divulged several names allegedly involved in anomalous flood control projects.

On Tuesday, Curlee said at a House hearing that public officials during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte also asked for commissions or payoffs in exchange for his flood control contracts.

But when Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro dared Curlee to identify those officials in the Duterte admin who asked for commissions, he reasoned out that his affidavit was just a response to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.’s crackdown. 

Marcos has called for an investigation into anomalous flood control projects as many parts of the country have been submerged amid heavy rains in the past months.

Several government agencies, aside from Senate and the House of Representatives, have launched their respective investigations

Some flood control projects were found to be ghost projects.

The Discaya camp has denied the allegations against their flood control projects.—AOL, GMA Integrated News