DPWH chief Dizon on Discaya’s ‘robbed’ statement: ‘Medyo makapal talaga mukha nito’ 

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday expressed annoyance after contractor Curlee Discaya claimed that he felt he was being “robbed” when asked to restitute or return money to the government to qualify under the Department of Justice's Witness Protection Program (WPP).

“Medyo makapal din talaga ang mukha nitong si Curlee Discaya. Eh kitang kita naming lahat ang ebidensya laban sa kanya. Tapos ang lakas pa ng loob magsabi na sila pa ang ninakawan,” said Dizon in Joseph Morong’s report on “24 Oras.” 

(This Curlee Discaya is really thick-faced. We can all clearly see the evidence against him, yet he still has the nerve to claim that they were the ones who were robbed.) 

During Monday’s hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Discaya was asked what the DOJ told him before he and his wife Sarah could be entered into the WPP.

“Your Honor, kung magkano po ang ire-restitute po muna namin… Ako po, hindi ko po masabi kung magkano po kasi para sa akin po, parang kami po ang nanakawan,” Discaya answered. 

(Your Honor, we discussed how much we should restitute first… I couldn’t give an amount because for me, it's like we were the ones who were robbed.) 

But the DOJ denied the claims of Discaya during the hearing. 

Further, the Office of the Ombudsman also called out Discaya’s statement. 

“Nang mawala ang pera para sa flood control, hindi lang pondo ang nawala, kaligtasan ng mga Pilipino ang nawala. Kaya mali at malaking kalokohan na tawaging ‘pagnanakaw’ ang pagbabalik ng ninakaw,” said Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano.

(When the money for flood control vanished, it wasn't just funds that were lost—the safety of the Filipino people was lost. That is why it is wrong and a huge absurdity to call the return of stolen wealth 'theft’.) 

“Ang taumbayan ang unang ninakawan. Ang pagsauli ng pera ng gobyerno ay hindi pangingikil; ito ay pananagutan,” he added. 

(The people were the first ones robbed. Returning the government's money is not extortion; it is accountability.) 

GMA Integrated News reached out to Discaya’s camp, but they refused to comment on Dizon’s and Clavano’s reactions. 

Meanwhile, the other personalities involved in the flood control scandal, such as former DPWH personnel Usec Roberto Bernardo, engineers Henry Alcantara and Gerard Opulencia, and contractor Sally Santos, have already returned up to P316 million to the DOJ. 

The DOJ is expecting that the four individuals would return a total of P1.5 billion. 

Former DPWH Bulacan First District engineer Brice Hernandez, on the other hand, surrendered two luxury vehicles to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. 

Further, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (ALMC) has frozen P22.869 billion worth of assets involved in the flood control mess. The freeze order covers 724 individuals and 537 entities. 

Among the frozen assets are bank accounts, air assets, real properties, investments, insurance accounts, motor vehicles, and e-wallet accounts.

After six months, the AMLC can now file charges, so the government can recover the assets. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News