Contractor Sarah Discaya defends lavish lifestyle, links family wealth to decades in business
• During a Senate hearing, contractor Sarah Discaya defended her family's wealth, attributing it to over 20 years in the construction business, not special favors from the DPWH
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• Discaya claimed a viral video of her discussing her wealth was "spliced" to mislead the public, insisting her family earned their money legitimately
• Senators expressed suspicion over how her network of nine firms consistently won hundreds of government contracts
• The Senate hearing also focused on Discaya's lavish lifestyle, including her confirmed ownership of 28 luxury cars, which she denied purchasing with taxpayers' money
In a contentious session of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, businesswoman and contractor Sarah Discaya staunchly defended the origins of her family's substantial wealth, claiming it was the result of two decades in the construction business, not preferential treatment from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Source: Youtube
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Appearing before the committee, which is probing alleged anomalies in government flood control projects, Discaya addressed the controversy surrounding a viral video interview where she discussed her riches.
She insisted the video was "spliced" to create a misleading narrative, omitting the crucial context that her family had been in the industry for 23 years before securing large-scale government contracts with the DPWH.
"After 23 years, I presume puwede naman po siguro kaming kumita," she stated, adding that her family's initial projects were with local government units, where she claimed collections were difficult.
The change in fortune, she explained, came when they began engaging with the DPWH.
However, senators pressed Discaya on the sheer volume of contracts her family’s network of nine construction firms had secured.
Records presented at the hearing showed her company, Alpha and Omega General Contractor & Development Corporation, secured 71 out of 491 projects it bid for in 2022.
Another firm linked to her, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, was said to have won 145 projects since 2022.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada expressed skepticism, questioning how her companies seemed to consistently win hundreds of government contracts.
He raised the possibility of her firms receiving inside information or early access to project listings, a charge Discaya vehemently denied.
She maintained that her companies only participated in public biddings posted on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and had no special contacts within the DPWH.
Concerns were also raised by Senator Erwin Tulfo, who suggested that the family's multiple firms were "pretending" to outbid each other, giving the appearance of competitive bidding for the same projects.
Discaya admitted that her nine firms would simultaneously bid for the same contracts, but did not address the implication that this practice was anti-competitive, as she ultimately wins the contract regardless of which of her firms secures the bid.
The hearing also touched on Discaya’s lavish lifestyle, particularly her confirmed ownership of 28 luxury cars, including models from Rolls-Royce, Cadillac, Maybach, and Range Rover.
When asked if these were purchased with "taxpayers' money," she firmly denied the allegation.
The Bureau of Customs is reportedly looking into the import records of her car collection, while the Bureau of Internal Revenue is investigating her firms’ tax payments.
This inquiry, prompted by a revelation from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., spotlights the "disproportionate" concentration of flood control projects awarded to a small group of contractors.
Discaya's case has become a focal point of the investigation, as her companies were among those named to have cornered a significant portion of the DPWH's multibillion-peso budget for flood control projects since 2022.
News, photos, or videos that arouse the interest of netizens would often go viral on social media, due to the attention netizens give them. These viral posts appeal to the emotions of netizens, and in rare cases, this could also happen to ordinary people, making them very relatable stories that people could easily understand and relate in their lives.
In other news, a 9-year-old child tragically drowned after falling into a canal in Taytay, Rizal, during heavy rain. The incident, which was caught on CCTV, occurred while the child was playing near the canal with her cousin. After a multi-day search operation, the child's body was found in a creek in a neighboring barangay in Cainta. Local authorities have issued a public warning urging residents to avoid playing or wading in floodwaters due to the hidden dangers.
Still in other news, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has accepted the resignation of DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan. The resignation comes amid a scandal involving anomalous flood control projects and allegations of "ghost" projects. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has been appointed as the new acting DPWH chief to lead an anti-corruption drive. The President also created an Independent Commission to investigate irregularities in flood control projects.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
