Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday described the alleged schemes of contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya as a ‘unique experience,’ describing the unprecedented scope of their operations in public works projects nationwide.
Remulla said the couple’s contracting practices stand out because they secured projects across the country, defying the usual ‘territoriality principle’ in government contracting.
‘Walang katulad na contractor itong mga Discaya. They’re a very unique one,’ Remulla told reporters on Sept. 29. (The Discayas are contractors unlike any other. They are very unique.)
Remulla explained that under standard practice, contractors typically operate within designated geographic areas. The Discayas, however, ‘hustled their way’ into projects nationwide, lending out their licenses across multiple territories.
Citing testimony from former Public Works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, Remulla said the couple’s projects often bypassed competitive bidding, in violation of the Philippine Competition Act, the Anti-Graft Law and other statutes.
Because of this, investigators are backtracking records from 2025 down to 2016 – the period when the couple allegedly ‘got big.’
‘They started contracting in 2007, but they were a struggling group at that time. But in 2016, they got big. That’s why we started zeroing in on how they got big,’ Remulla said.
‘Beyond imagination’
Remulla agreed with Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s earlier claim that the couple bagged at least P207 billion worth of projects but suggested the figure could be even higher.
‘I believe that. But probably it’s bigger,’ Remulla said.
Remulla said the scale of alleged corruption linked to the Discayas was ‘beyond imagination.’
The Discayas, who have testified in congressional probes, are currently considered protected witnesses. The DOJ is evaluating whether they qualify as state witnesses, which would grant them immunity from prosecution.
Remulla said lawmakers named by the couple, along with former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, will soon be invited by the DOJ to validate the information.
Billions in contracts. From 2022 to 2024, companies linked to the Discayas secured around 421 projects worth P31.04 billion, most of them flood-control works.
Their own firms accounted for P25.2 billion across 345 solo and joint projects, with affiliated companies raising the total contract value to more than P31 billion.