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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PM Vargas thankful for Vico Sotto's warning about the Discayas

PM Vargas thankful for Vico Sotto's warning about the Discayas

Published Sep 12, 2025 06:00 pm

At A Glance

  • Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas is grateful for Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto's efforts to warn Filipinos about the controversial Discayas.
Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas (left), Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto (MANILA BULLETIN, Facebook)
Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas (left), Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto (MANILA BULLETIN, Facebook)


Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas is grateful for Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto's efforts to warn Filipinos about the controversial Discayas
Vargas is currently mulling legal action against contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya after they implicated him in alleged corruption via anomalous or "ghost" flood control projects.
Certifications from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) acquired by Vargas showed that none of the Discayas' nine construction companies had any projects in Quezon City's 5th district.
"Buti na lang na-warningan tayo ni Mayor Vico [about the Discayas] (It's a good thing that Mayor Vico warned us about the Discayas)," Vargas said in a interview Thursday, Sept. 11.
The House deputy majority leader was referring to Sotto's words during the latter's appearance at the House Infrastructure Committee (infra comm) hearing last Sept. 9.
"Alam naman po ng lahat ng tao sa kuwarto na ito na may guilty na senador, may guilty na congressman may guilty na DPWH officials may guilty na contractor maaaring sa iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan pero sa puntong ito nakikita po natin hindi lang sila basta naglalaglagan, Gusto nila magulo ang kwento, gusto nila lituhin tayo,” Sotto said.
(Everyone in this room knows that there’s a guilty senator, a guilty congressman, guilty Department of Public Works and Highways officials, guilty contractors, possibly even people from other government agencies. But at this point, we can see that it’s not just about pointing fingers. They want to muddle the story, they want to confuse us.)
"Gusto nila na hindi na natin malalaman yung totoo para eventually mawawala namang na parang bula. Magkakalituhan na tayo hindi na natin malalaman kung alin ang totoo sa hindi. Magbabanggit na lang ng kung ano wala naman silang pruweba o ebidensya,” he added.
(They don't want us to ever find out the truth, so that eventually everything just disappears like a bubble. We’ll end up confused, unable to tell what’s true and what’s not. They’ll just throw things around there without any proof or evidence.)
Sotto also described the Pasig-based Discayas as expert liars. Sarah lost to Sotto in her mayoralty bid during the May 2025 elections.
Asked if he thinks politics is involved in his implication to the flood control projects scandal, Vargas said: "Pwede po siguro, pero tignan na lang natin kung ano yung mag-unfold sa mga hearings. Mahirap po mag-speculate at higit sa lahat mahirap po mag-imbento."
(It's possible, but let's just see what will unfold in the hearings. It's hard to speculate, and most of all to invent things.)
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