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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Discayas will definitely face imprisonment – Ombudsman Remulla

Discayas will definitely face imprisonment – Ombudsman Remulla

Published Oct 16, 2025 11:30 am
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said that contractor spouses Curlee and Sarah Discaya need a "reality check" and face the fact that they will be imprisoned for their involvement in the ghost and substandard flood-control projects in the country.
During an interview with the radio show "Saksi sa Dobol B," Remulla reacted to the spouses’ decision to no longer cooperate with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on its probe on the flood-control mess.
Their decision effectively shut down their plea to be state witnesses.
Regardless of the Discaya spouses' decision, Remulla said that the investigation of his office will remain unaffected.
They are not the only witnesses and it is unlikely they will not be jailed, he said.
As far as he is concerned, Remulla said the Discaya spouses, who own the construction firms Alpha and Omega Construction and St. Gerrard Construction Corporation, can either opt for plea bargaining agreement with the government or do a "complete restitution and tell-all" in the hopes of "exceptional immunity."
Plea bargaining in criminal cases is the pleading guilty to a lesser offense for a lesser penalty.
Remulla recalled the case of retired Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia, who evaded his plunder and anti-money laundering charges before the Sandiganbayan as he struck a plea bargaining agreement with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to the lesser offenses of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering.
Garcia, who used to be a comptroller for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), was sentenced to four to eight years imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine P406,300,162 "or three times the total value of the gifts received as per plea bargaining agreement, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency" for the offense of direct bribery as defined and penalized under Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code.
On the other hand, Garcia was slapped with five to six years imprisonment and directed to pay a fine of P1.5 million for violating Section 4, paragraph B of Republic Act No. 9160, the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Remulla said the Discaya couple is keeping things close to their chests as they are still being "selective" about what they divulge to investigators.
He said this was evident when they were asked about the dealings with CLTG Builders in Davao City, as the Discaya couple claimed they did not know anything and their company's license was only used in the infrastructure projects.
He also said that he had advised the Discayas: "Don't protect anybody. Kailangan truth-teller ang kausap ng gobyerno (The government needs to talk to truth-tellers)."
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