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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Problema nila yan': It's Discayas' fault that they aren't state witness material, says De Lima

'Problema nila yan': It's Discayas' fault that they aren't state witness material, says De Lima

Published Oct 16, 2025 10:27 am

At A Glance

  • Controversial contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya have nothing but themselves to blame if authorities doesn't view them as worthy to be state witnesses in the flood control projects corruption scandal.
Curlee (left) and Sarah Discaya (Facebook)
Curlee (left) and Sarah Discaya (Facebook)


Controversial contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya have nothing but themselves to blame if authorities doesn't view them as worthy to be state witnesses in the flood control projects corruption scandal.
Thus, said Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima even as she told off the Discayas for deciding to no longer cooperate with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) in its inquiry on the controversy.
"Ilang beses na ba silang naimbitahan sa mga hearings—sa Kamara, Senado at ICI (How many times have they been inviting to the hearings of the House, Senate, and ICI)?" De Lima said on Wednesday night, Oct. 15.
"If they failed to prove that they are worthy of being state witnesses, that's on them. Problema nila yan (That's their problem)," the former senator said.
De Lima went on to blast the Discayas for giving "selective and limited" testimonies on anomalous or "ghost" flood mitigation projects, which involved Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials and members of both the House of Representatives and Senate.
"Simula pa lang, nadismaya na tayo sa mga Discaya (The Discayas have dismayed us from the very start)," she said.
"Tigil-tigilan na rin nila yung pagdadahilan na kaya hindi na sila makikipagtulungan ay dahil hindi sila na-consider as state witness (Their being not candidates for state witness shouldn't be used as an alibi for their non-cooperation)," she added.
"Tell-all daw pero hanggang ngayon binibitin pa nila ang DOJ (They promised to tell all but up to now they're keeping the DOJ in the dark). They should have told the whole truth," De Lima further said of the Pasig City-based contractors.
At any rate, the ML solon said what the Discayas already confessed under oath in Congress and stated in the affidavits they submitted so far can already be used against them.
"It is now up to the ICI, the DOJ (Department of Justice) and the Ombudsman to gather additional evidence vs. the Discayas and all those who are involved, other than their confessions in Congress and affidavits submitted to DOJ," she said.
"Other evidence include DPWH bidding and project documents, AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) reports, and other government records.
"The ICI should also already instruct the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to apply for a search warrant of all Discaya residences and offices to search for and seize documents evidencing corruption in the projects awarded to them, documents which they already admitted are in their possession," De Lima said.
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