Licenses revoked, assets probed in Discaya case

National

FROM construction sites to luxury garages, authorities are closing in on the Discayas — with nine of their firms losing accreditation and separate probes now targeting their cars, taxes, and even links to aircraft ownership.

The Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) revoked the licenses of nine companies tied to Sarah and Curlee Discaya through Board Resolution No. 075, dated Sept. 1 and released yesterday. The move came after Sarah Discaya admitted before a Senate hearing that her firms bid against each other for government projects.

“Such admission establishes a scheme of joint or multiple bidding participation designed to influence the outcome of public bidding, manipulate results and corner public projects,” the PCAB said in a Philstar report. It added that keeping the firms licensed would undermine public interest and procurement integrity.

The companies delisted are St. Gerrard Construction Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., St. Timothy Construction Corp., Amethyst Horizon Builders and Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., St. Matthew General Contractor & Development Corp., Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor Inc., YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc., Way Maker OPC and Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.

Two of these, Alpha & Omega and St. Timothy, were among the top contractors flagged by President Marcos as cornering most flood control projects between 2022 and 2025.

Copies of the revocation order will be sent to key agencies including the DPWH, SEC, Government Procurement Policy Board and local governments, while the Department of Justice and National Bureau of Investigation will study possible criminal liability. Under Philippine law, contractors cannot operate without a PCAB license.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque has also placed the PCAB and the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines under her direct supervision, citing allegations of license selling. “Placing them under my direct supervision will ensure that order, transparency and accountability is restored,” she said in the same report.

Beyond the construction sector, investigators are also scrutinizing the Discayas’ assets. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported that eight of 12 luxury vehicles seized from their Pasig compound had incomplete documents. By late Tuesday evening, all vehicles listed in a court-issued warrant had been accounted for.

BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno urged the couple to settle the issue, warning that their bigger challenge lies in the construction probe.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is separately verifying whether the value of the vehicles aligns with the couple’s declared income, noting that any discrepancy could point to undeclared earnings, according to Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr.

Discaya’s lawyer, Cornelio Samaniego III, said the couple will cooperate with authorities and respect the lookout bulletin issued against them. He also downplayed photos circulating online showing the Discayas with government officials, describing them as casual snapshots similar to what many people request when encountering politicians.(MyTVCebu)