MANILA (September 1) – Senators on Monday pressed businesswoman Sarah Discaya to explain why her family’s construction firms repeatedly secured flood control and infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
At the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada noted that Discaya’s nine companies appeared to dominate bidding. Records showed Alpha and Omega General Contractor & Development Corp. won 71 flood control projects in 2022, while St. Timothy Construction Corp., managed by a relative, bagged 145 projects since 2022.
Estrada questioned if Discaya’s group had early access to project listings from DPWH insiders. Discaya denied this, saying her firms only joined biddings posted on the government’s PhilGEPS portal.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, however, raised doubts over the firms’ capacity, pointing out they had just 200 staff yet reportedly handled nearly 500 projects in a year. She also presented calling cards linking Discaya’s husband to several companies, suggesting family control across multiple bidders.
Estrada demanded that Discaya submit proof of completion for over 400 projects, warning of accountability before the law and the public if discrepancies are found.
The inquiry, led by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, is probing alleged ghost and substandard DPWH projects, with billions in public funds suspected to have been misused.
