Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody “Odie” F. Tarriela was charged with graft on Tuesday, March 10, for allegedly receiving “kickbacks” from contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya in several anomalous flood control projects.

The complaint was filed before the Office of the Ombudsman by Radamalyn Fernando Cardoza, a resident of the province, who claimed that Tarriela was one of those mentioned by the contractor spouses during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing held on Sept. 8, 2025.

Congressman Tarriela could not be contacted for comment as of posting time.

Cardoza said the Discaya couple mentioned the name of Tarriela multiple times in publicly reported proceedings as one of the lawmakers who "requested or received commissions in connection with the bidding, award, or implementation of flood control infrastructure projects."

"Based on publicly accessible accounts of the hearing, the contractors asserted that the disputed commissions were characterized as a percentage of the overall contract value and were allegedly imposed to ensure the continuity or unimpeded processing of projects, notwithstanding that the authority to implement such projects lies with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)," Cardoza also said in the complaint.

Since Tarriela has refuted the allegations, Cardoza said he made an effort to research on the infrastructure projects in Occidental Mindoro that he hopes the Ombudsman would look into. He said he uncovered 33 projects amounting to P3,277,636,746.20.

Out of the 33 projects, Cardoza said there were six projects in San Jose involving P270,965,075.50; San Jose Market involving P193 million; Busuanga River Rizal involving P45 million; six projects in Rizal worth P990,091,969.44; eight projects in Abra de Ilog worth P812,589,667.54; and 11 projects in Sablayan worth P965,990,033.72.

Cardoza said he made formal requests for copies of public documents from the DPWH-Occidental Mindoro District Office, but his requests were not acted upon.

"The absence of accessible documentation has constrained independent verification of project details," he said.

Cardoza said: "The complaint is submitted in good faith, with full regard for the constitutional rights of the respondent and the presumption of innocence. It is not intended to harass, malign, or prejudice any party, but solely to seek a lawful determination as to whether probable cause exists."