By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – Construction firms owned by couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya and Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya could face up to PHP300 billion in penalties for allegedly rigging over 1,200 flood control contracts, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Friday.
In a press briefing, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the government has awarded 1,214 flood-control contracts to Discaya-owned firms since 2016 for a total amount of PHP77.934 billion.
Dizon said if the bid manipulation is proven, a PHP110-million fine could be slapped on the first offense, with additional PHP250 million for each subsequent offense.
“Mas malaki pa ang penalty (The penalty is higher),” Dizon said, comparing the potential fines to the total amount of the awarded contracts.
The latest development was shared after the DPWH filed 12 cases of bid rigging and bid manipulation before the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) in Quezon City in connection with the flood control projects.
Dizon said this is in response to the desire of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to immediately punish those who stole and immediately return the funds to the national treasury.
“The President’s order is to hold all those who are responsible, accountable. Recover what was stolen and return it to the people,” he said in a press conference.
The 12 cases accused five companies of violating the Philippine Competition law — Wawao Builders owned by Mar and Alla Arevalo (three cases); IM Construction owned by Robert Imperio (two cases); SYMS Construction owned by Sally Santos (two cases); St. Timothy Construction Corporation owned by the Discaya couple (two cases), and Sunwest Construction, which is linked to resigned Ako Bicol Party-list congressman Zaldy Co (three cases).
Dizon said the 12 cases, the first batch filed with the PCC, are supported by evidence sourced from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which conducted an investigation into anomalous flood control projects.
He expected the PCC investigation to be concluded within three months.
License revocation
Also on Friday, the DPWH submitted documents to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), also in Quezon City and asked for the revocation of licenses of 20 engineers, including former Bulacan District engineer Henry Alcantara.
Alcantara and several other engineers are implicated in alleged anomalous flood control projects.
The documents were submitted after the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the DPWH and the PRC for the establishment of mechanisms for information exchange, referral of administrative complaints, and joint monitoring and coordination in investigation of violations.
“There really needs to be a deep working relationship between the DPWH and the PRC so that not only those involved in the anomaly are held accountable, but also to prevent it from happening again in the years to come,” Dizon said of the MOA.
The MOA was signed by Dizon and PRC Chairperson Charito Zamora, who said they will do their best to immediately act on the DPWH’s request.
“We will give them (respondents) 15 days to respond, another 15 days to come up with the position paper. We are looking [to resolve it] within the next few months,” Zamora said. (PNA)
