DOJ to look at Discaya couple's 15-year track record if they wish to turn state witnesses

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will look into the 15-year record of Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya and his wife, Sarah, as government contractors if they apply for state witness status, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told the House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday.

At the hearing of the DOJ's proposed P40-billion for 2026, Sagip party-list Rep. Henry Marcoleta asked Remulla if the Discaya couple may be taken in as state witnesses in filing charges against scrupulous flood control project contractors and their cohorts. 

“We have a process to follow. But we also have a lot of questions to complete their history. Kasi kung sila'y 15 taon nang nakakontrata at ikikwento nila'y tatlong taon lang, marahil kulang ‘yan,” Remulla said.

(They have been government contractors for 15 years. If they will just tell us about the last three years of that span, that is incomplete.)

“Kailangan malaman natin ang buong kasaysayan ng kanilang nakakontrata at kung ano ang kanilang dinaanang patakaran at sinasabi nilang obligasyon. Labinlimang taon dapat mapag-aralan natin, dahil itong problemang ito ang bumabagabag sa ating bansa ngayon,” he added.

(We need to know their entire history as government contractors, who they contracted with, the policies they encountered, and their supposed obligations, because this problem has been a burden to our country.)

Contracts, dates, names

Given the Discaya’s long history of government contracting, Remulla said they must provide documents such as contracts, dates of projects, names of engineers, and lawmakers who are dipping their hands in government contracts.

"'Yan ang kailangan natin malaman. We cannot just settle for three years. If we need to go back as far as 1998, so be it. Hindi po tayo matututo kung hindi po natin titignan ang buong kasaysayan o sistema na umiiral,” Remulla said.

(We need to know all those. We won’t learn anything if we don’t know the history and the prevailing system that allowed such practice.)

The Discaya couple said several House lawmakers and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials took commissions out of the government's flood control projects, which they were supposedly forced to comply with to continue doing business. 

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, however, warned the public against believing the Discayas, saying that they are weaving lies to be treated as state witnesses, given that their figures are inconsistent with what they have said in their past interviews about being billionaires.

“Taliwas ito sa statement nila sa isang interview, kung saan sinabi nilang bilyonaryo sila at nasa 11 digits na daw ang pera nila. Meaning, at least P10 billion. How can you be a billionaire with a 2% to 3% profit?” Sotto said.

Sotto defeated Sarah Discaya in the 2025 local elections.

(This is contrary to their statement in an interview, in which they said they were billionaires with cash that ran up to 11 digits. This means at least P10 billion. How can you be a billionaire with 2% to 3% profit?)

"Bakit 26 lang yung nasa listahan? Ang tanong, paano nila napili kung sino ‘yung nasa listahan na yun? Obviously, there is a lie somewhere. Itong listahan ni Discaya... itong buong statement nila, malinaw na malinaw na kasinungalingan," Sotto said.

(Who will dare do such a crime for a measly profit? Let us not fall for their attempt to get our sympathy.If they were telling the truth, why only list 26? How did they choose 26? Their entire statement, very clearly, is all lies.) –NB, GMA Integrated News