(UPDATE) CONTRACTORS Curvee and Sarah Discaya on Monday said they wanted to turn state witnesses against lawmakers and other government officials who allegedly extorted money from them.

Appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, they read a joint nine-page sworn affidavit detailing how some members of the House of Representatives and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) demanded a cut or “percentage” as high as 25 percent from their contracts.

Their claims triggered a spate of denials from some of the lawmakers they named, including a statement from Speaker Martin Romualdez that he would “not allow lies and name-dropping to go unchecked.”

The couple, tagged as major contractors involved in fraudulent flood control projects, said they were “forced to give in” to their demands or else their projects with the DPWH would face some delays, like road right-of-way issues.

The legislators who they said demanded a cut from their flood control project contracts were Reps. Roman Romulo (Pasig City); Jojo Ang, Uswag Ilonggo Party-list; Patrick Michael Vargas (Quezon City); Arjo Atayde (Quezon City); Nicanor Briones (Agap Party-list); Marcy Teodoro (Marikina); Florida Robes (San Jose del Monte); Eleandro Madrona (Romblon); Benjamin Agarao Jr.; Bem Noel, Ang Waray Partylist; Leody Tarriela (Occidental Mindoro); Reynante Arrogancia (Quezon province); Marvin Rillo (Quezon City); Teodoro Haresco (Aklan); Antonieta Eudela (Zamboanga Sibugay); Dean Asistio (Caloocan); and Marivic Co-Pilar (Quezon City).

The Discayas also named Terence Calatrava, former undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, who asked for a percentage from the Discayas’ contract price so that the implementation of their project would run smoothly.

They also identified the following who allegedly imposed a 25 percent “usual routine” — Regional Director Eduarte Virgilo (DPWH Region 5), Director Ramon Arriola III of United Project Management Office, District Engineer (DE) Henry Alcantara (DPWH Bulacan 1st District), a certain Undersecretary Robert Bernardo, DE Aristotle Ramos (DPWH Metro Manila 1st District), DE Manny Bulusan (DPWH North Manila), DE Edgardo Pingol (DPWH Bulacan), and DE Michael Rosaria (DPWH Quezon 2nd District).

Curvee said some of the legislators claimed that part of the money collected from them would go to Romualdez and Rep. Zaldy Co, former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.

Romualdez issued a statement denying any role in the fraudulent flood control projects.

“The claim in the Discaya couple’s affidavit that my name was used for commissions is false, malicious, and nothing more than name-dropping,” he said in a statement.

He said in Filipino that he had no involvement in and that he had not given permission for “such activities.”

“And I say this with all honesty: I have never, and I will never, accept a bribe from anybody. No one can bribe me. All the House members know that. I am self-made, and I have been blessed with the trust of the Filipino people. I do not need — and will never allow myself — to be corrupted by money that does not belong to me,” he said.

“I will not allow falsehoods to tarnish my integrity or the institution I lead. Under my watch, we will clean the system, punish the guilty, and protect the people’s money,” he said.

Other lawmakers of the House also issued denials.

“I categorically deny the allegation that I benefited from any contractor,” Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos Atayde said in a statement.

“I have never dealt with them. These allegations are not true. I have never used my position for personal gain, and I never will. I will avail of all remedies under the law to clear my name and hold accountable those who spread these falsehoods,” Atayde said in Filipino and English.

Marikina 1st District Rep. Marcelino Teodoro said in Filipino and English, “I never asked for or received money, favor, or any benefit in exchange for political influence or legislative action.”

Teodoro said the accusations surfaced after he exposed a DPWH project in the 2026 National Expenditure Program that had already been completed but was still included for funding.

Discayas name lawmakers, DPWH officials involved in alleged extortion

“It is clear as the sun that this is a diversionary tactic of syndicates to divert the true issue of corruption and anomalies in DPWH flood control projects,” he said in a statement.

He said the contract involving the Discayas was awarded during the term of the late Rep. Bayani Fernando, years before he assumed office in 2022.

“In fact, the DPWH projects that went to the Discayas were before I sat as congressman — around 2020 or 2021, not 2022 onwards. I had nothing to do with it, because I was not yet a congressman then,” he said.

Teodoro maintained that he never asked for or received money, favors, or any benefit in exchange for political influence or legislative action.

He also said he is considering filing perjury charges against the Discayas, noting that they allegedly gave false testimony under oath during a legislative hearing.

“The accusations are false, malicious, and have no other purpose but to destroy my name and the trust of Marikina residents in me,” Teodoro said.

Romblon Rep. Eleandro Madrona also denied the statement of Discaya.

“To my recollection, I have no project with him,” he said. Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela denied Discayas’ statements and said he did not receive money from the latter.

“As a congressman, our role is only to propose local projects such as roads, bridges, multipurpose buildings, classrooms, and public markets, which are requested by barangays or municipalities for inclusion in the General Appropriations Act,” Tarriela said.

He added that large-scale national projects are directly funded and managed by the DPWH and do not fall under a congressman’s jurisdiction.

Tarriela stressed that he has no knowledge of or participation in the processes involving these flood-control projects.

Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas said on Facebook that the Discaya allegations were “100 percent NOT TRUE.”

He said the Discayas had no project in his district. “I will file a case against them for this blatant lie. My track record speaks for itself,” he said.

When asked for comment on the allegation against him, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo said in a message, “Not true.”

Former lawmaker and now Mayor Florida Robes of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, said she would file a libel case against Mr. Discaya.

“It is clear to many how beautiful San Jose del Monte is now. There is no ghost project here, and our infrastructure is world-class,” Robes said.

In a privileged speech at the House’s plenary session on Monday, Quezon City 6th District Rep. Ma. Victoria Co-Pilar said the accusations against her were “outright lies and baseless.”

Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co said in a statement, “I vehemently deny all the baseless and irresponsible accusations made against me during the Senate hearing held today.”

Laguna 4th District Rep. Benjamin Agarao Jr., in a statement, denied the allegation that he had asked for money from the Discayas in exchange for projects in his district.

“That is not true. They have no project in my district,” he said.

Agarao added in Filipino and English, “I am consulting my lawyers. I will sue them for libel and perjury. I will not let them ruin my name, which I took care of for so long, just like that.”

Uswag Ilonggo Rep. James Ang Jr. said the allegations against him were baseless.

“I have adhered to my mandate to serve the people and the sector I represent with integrity,” he said.

No editing allowed

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, said there will be no witness protection for the embattled Discaya couple if their sworn statement that implicated several lawmakers and government officials in the anomalous flood control projects was “edited” to leave out some guilty parties.

This came after the couple, whose construction firms were awarded billions of pesos worth of infrastructure projects since 2016, only gave the names of those who purportedly solicited money from the ghost or substandard projects from 2022 onwards.

Pangilinan said that the Discayas started their business in 2016, but they only named legislators with whom they had alleged questionable transactions from 2022 onwards.

“Your sworn statement should not be ‘edited’ or ‘photoshopped.’ It must be the ‘whole truth.’ Any attempt to cover up [for someone] is not allowed in the witness protection [program],” Pangilinan posted on social media

, This news data comes from:http://aichuwei.com