Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto voiced concern on Tuesday over the intentions of Pacifico and Sarah Discaya, whose testimonies have shaken the ongoing congressional inquiry into alleged corruption in flood control projects. He warned that their sudden willingness to testify may be a calculated move to confuse the investigation and escape accountability.
“Let’s take everything with a grain of salt,” Sotto told reporters, emphasizing that the Discayas may be aiming to manipulate the narrative. “May ulterior motive sila eh,” he said, noting the couple’s extensive government dealings. “They have hundreds, if not thousands, of government contracts. Pero sinabi nila sa Senado, wala silang magawa, kailangan nila magbigay ng SOP.”
Sotto said their goal appears to be “guluhin na tayo, lituhin tayo,”—to stir confusion and obscure the facts. He questioned why only 26 projects were listed out of potentially thousands and cast doubt on the credibility of their selection. “Obviously, there is a lie somewhere,” he said. “Itong listahan ni Discaya… malinaw na malinaw na kasinungalingan.”
The mayor also recalled how Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya shifted positions during the House hearing—initially saying he would name more people allegedly involved, then backtracking and declining to do so after requesting a closed-door Executive Session.
The controversy deepened Monday after the Discayas publicly named congressmen, staff, and DPWH officials allegedly involved in corruption. But during the same probe, Curlee maintained that they never stole public funds, claiming they were forced into giving in to demands because their projects were being delayed or terminated.
“Hindi naman po kami nagnakaw,” Curlee said, as quoted by GMA News Online. He claimed they were backed into a corner: “Kaya po kami po sinigaw nalang po namin ito… kahit kami mamatay bukas o papatayin kami ng mga politikong ilang piraso na ito, alam po namin na may dangal kami mamamatay.”
