MANILA, Philippines — Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto took aim at former mayoral candidate Cezarah Discaya and her family’s network of contractors, accusing them of lies, ghost firms, and alleged kickbacks in government flood control projects.

Sotto said on Tuesday that Discaya was caught contradicting herself during a Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on the alleged ₱101-billion flood control scam.

“At first, Discaya told Sen. Erwin Tulfo she had already divested from most of the firms and was only ‘directly with Alpha & Omega,’” Sotto said.

But when Sen. Jinggoy Estrada listed nine firms under her name—St. Gerrard, St. Timothy, Alpha & Omega, Elite General Contractor, St. Matthew, Great Pacific Builders, YPR General Contractor, Amethyst Horizon Builders, and Waymaker OPC—Discaya admitted, “Yes,” before later backtracking that she was only a “part-owner.”

Sotto said the exchange exposed her in her own words. “But what’s the truth? Within just minutes she contradicted herself, either slipping up or getting tangled in her lies,” he said.

The mayor also pointed out that several companies were registered under Discaya’s relatives and even former employees. One niece, previously an HR manager earning ₱30,000 to ₱40,000 a month, suddenly appeared as majority owner of St. Timothy with ₱888 million in paid-up capital.

“Clearly, this is not just one person’s doing,” Sotto said. “There is a system here that allowed billions to be cornered by a few contractors tied together by family and personal connections.”

He warned that beyond the Discaya group, a wider network may be involved, including politicians and DPWH insiders.

Mayor Sotto slams Discayas, cites lies, ghost firms, and kickback allegations, This news data comes from:http://www.yamato-syokunin.com

“I’m sure there’s more to uncover, both with the Discaya group but also the system as a whole,” Sotto said. “I hope all relevant authorities act quickly, before they get away. We will not allow this issue to fade quietly after a few months; there must be accountability. Contractors, politicians, DPWH and other government employees—if not, this cycle will only repeat in our country.”

Sotto urged senators to directly ask contractors and DPWH officials in the next hearing about alleged kickbacks.

“Is it true that some contractors advance up to 40 percent of the project cost to congressmen or politicians? Or that there is an SOP, a fixed cut, for DPWH projects? What is the actual sharing?” he said. “Maybe no one will admit it, but you never know.”

The mayor further suggested that the inquiry should not stop with Cezarah Discaya alone.

“For the Discaya group, it should not be only Madam Cezarah who gets summoned. It looks like her campaign spokesperson and the so-called DPWH Project Mastermind, Curlee ‘Great Pacific’ Discaya, knows much more,” Sotto added.

Mayor Sotto slams Discayas, cites lies, ghost firms, and kickback allegations