Discayas no longer coordinating with DOJ — official

Contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya have stopped coordinating with the Department of Justice (DOJ) over its probe into anomalous flood control projects, an official said Friday.

“As far as the Discayas are concerned, they have stopped coordinating with us. I heard from public declarations that after the ICI hearing, they are no longer cooperating,” Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said.

The official was asked about the status of the Discayas after he said that several whistleblowers in the flood control controversy are now “telling all.” 

In October, the couple withdrew their cooperation from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) after they saw a media interview of ICI Commissioner Rogelio Singson, where he said that no one has yet qualified to become a state witness.

The Discayas are considered “protected witnesses” under the department’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).

However, Andres said that they have no formal application to the WPP.

“As far as the discayas are concerned, we hear them saying it, but there is no formal request. So there is nothing to consider, unless they come in,” Andres said.

He said only former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH engineers Brice Hernandez, Henry Alcantara, Jaypee Mendoza, and contractor Sally Santos have filed letters of application.

Despite this, Andres said that the department remains open to the Discayas.

“So I do not know where they want to seek us, but the office is always there open if anybody, any possible whistleblower would come forward, to seek the help of the Witness Protection Program,” he said.

GMA News Online has reached out to the Discaya camp for comment and will update this story once it is available. 

The couple previously bared the names of several congressmen, their staff, and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who are allegedly involved in corruption in the anomalies.

Their lawyer previously said that they will stand by the testimonies they made over the flood control projects despite their decision to no longer cooperate with the ICI.—LDF, GMA Integrated News