During a House hearing on Tuesday, contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II admitted that some government officials under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration also sought commissions from him in exchange for flood control projects. However, he claimed those requests were unsuccessful and, therefore, not included in his Senate affidavit.
“Meron rin naman pong nanghihingi,” Discaya responded when asked by Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro if kickback requests were exclusive to the current administration.
Luistro rebuked Discaya for what she called “selective amnesia,” questioning why no such claims were raised in his signed affidavit. “Why the sudden selective amnesia, Mr. Discaya?” she asked, adding that his sworn statement was riddled with “inconsistencies and lies.”
Pressed further, Discaya named Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) District Engineer Art Pascual—who is already deceased—as one of those who demanded commissions. “Si DE Art Pascual, patay na po siya… siya po talaga ang nanghihingi sa amin,” he said.
That drew a sharp rebuke from House infrastructure committee chairperson Rep. Terry Ridon. “Huwag kang magbanggit ng pangalan ng patay na,” he said. “Hindi mo na nirespeto iyong tao.”
Explosive revenue growth under Duterte admin
Deputy Speaker Janette Garin presented SEC-verified data showing that eight companies owned by the Discaya family earned billions through government projects between 2016 and 2023—reaching a peak of ₱20.5 billion in 2022.
The firms reportedly started with ₱99 million in revenue in 2016 and soared past the ₱1 billion mark by 2017, the first full year of Duterte’s presidency. Their combined government earnings ballooned to ₱12 billion in 2018, ₱13 billion in 2019, and despite the pandemic, ₱11.5 billion in 2020. They rebounded even higher in 2021 and 2022 with ₱16 billion and ₱20 billion, respectively.
Garin criticized Discaya for allegedly profiting during a time when the country was reeling from the pandemic. “Marami ang nawalan ng trabaho… pero ang Discaya group of companies, ang revenue nila from government, wala sa pribado ay ₱11 billion,” she said.
Discaya disputed the figures, saying they represented gross revenues, not net income. “May mga projects na wala po kaming kita,” he told lawmakers, also revising earlier claims about their earnings margin—now stating 10–15% instead of the previously claimed 2–3%.
Luistro warns of plunder charges
Luistro reminded Discaya that his own admissions could be grounds for serious criminal charges.
“If the case is more than ₱50 million, it constitutes a violation of the Plunder law,” she said. “That is punishable by life imprisonment and a no-bail offense.”
