Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has publicly named the pamilyang Discayas as the alleged owners and controllers of several companies that secured major Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control project contracts, which were presented by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, August 11.
According to Sotto, these companies include Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp. (ranked 2nd in the Top 15 DPWH contractors), St. Timothy Construction Corporation (ranked 3rd), and St. Gerrard Construction, among other firms allegedly linked to the same family.
“Ngayon, unti-unti nang nalalaman ng taumbayan ang buong katotohanan. As the president told them during the SONA, ‘MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO!’” Sotto declared, quoting Marcos’ State of the Nation Address.
The mayor also shared what he called the “6 stages of corruption,” outlining the systemic irregularities he believes are taking place. These include questionable procurement processes, substandard or fabricated projects, excessive “SOP” or kickbacks reaching up to half the project’s value, failure to pay correct taxes to both the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and local government units (LGUs), and the use of illicitly obtained funds for political interests.
Sotto assured the public that the Pasig City government will submit all relevant information to the President and will pursue legal actions to recover millions in unpaid business taxes from these companies. He emphasized that the recovered funds would be enough to finance infrastructure such as judicial buildings and offices for national government agencies in Pasig, without reducing the budget for other essential programs.
“Pasigueños, it may be difficult and even dangerous, but let’s do our part in exposing and ending these systemic practices of corruption,” he urged.
Sotto’s remarks add to growing public discourse on alleged corruption within government infrastructure projects, especially those involving high-ranking contractors. His statement also underscores the role of local governments in holding companies accountable for their tax obligations and in ensuring transparency in the use of public funds.
While the DPWH and the companies mentioned have yet to issue official statements in response to Sotto’s claims, the revelations are expected to spark further investigation and scrutiny, particularly given the high stakes of flood control projects in a city and country frequently affected by heavy rainfall and flooding.