Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has expressed full support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s efforts to uncover what he described as entrenched corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), particularly involving top contractors allegedly tied to a powerful network known as the “Discayas.”
In a public address to Pasigueños, Sotto identified several leading firms in flood control projects—namely Alpha & Omega (ranked 2nd), St. Timothy (3rd), and St. Gerrard—as being owned and controlled by the Discaya group. These companies were among the Top 15 DPWH contractors highlighted by President Marcos Jr. earlier that day.
Notably, Sarah Discaya, who Sotto soundly defeated in the 2025 Pasig mayoral race, serves as President & CEO of Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation, and Vice President & CFO of St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corporation. Her ties to these firms have drawn increased scrutiny amid growing calls for transparency and accountability in public infrastructure spending.
The “Six Stages of Corruption”
Sotto outlined what he called the “Six Stages of Corruption” allegedly practiced by these contractors:
(1) Procurement/bidding pa lang maaaring may anomalya o collusion na;
(2) Sa project implementation mismo, maaaring SUBSTANDARD, o gaya ng sabi ng Pangulo mismo nung SONA, “yung iba ay GUNI-GUNI lang”;
(3) May mga SOP o porsyento na diumano’y umaabot sa mahigit kalahati ng project cost (Mayor Magalong and Sen. Lacson have both talked about this recently);
(4) May corruption na mga sa proyekto, hindi pa nagbabayad ng tamang buwis sa BIR;
(5) Kulang din ang binabayaran nilang business taxes sa LGU. Yung isang kompanya, top contractor, pero nagdeklara sa LGU ng ZERO gross revenue. Grabe, diba?;
(6) Pag master na ang 1-5, papasok na rin sa politika. Yung 1% ng nakaw ibibigay sa tao bilang “tulong” Para magmukha silang mabait
Sotto emphasized that these practices are widely known within government circles, with local officials and barangay captains having shared details with him directly.
Pasig’s Response: Legal Action and Transparency
The mayor announced two major steps Pasig City will take:
– Submission of Red Flags to Malacañang – All suspicious data and contractor behavior will be reported to the President.
– Pursuit of Tax Cases – The city will continue legal action to recover millions—possibly billions, in unpaid business taxes.
“Makolekta lang natin ang utang nilang Business Tax sa LGU, may pondo na ang Pasig para ipagawa ang Building para sa Judiciary at National Government Agencies,” Sotto said, stressing that these funds could support vital infrastructure without cutting other programs.
Despite acknowledging the risks involved in confronting entrenched corruption, Sotto urged citizens to do their part in exposing and dismantling these practices. (ROSE NOVENARIO)
