Discayas meet with DOJ chief to discuss protection
Controversial public works contractor couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya met on Friday with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to talk about their application for the witness protection program (WPP), a move earlier rejected by several lawmakers.
Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano said the purpose of the meeting was just to determine whether placing the couple under the witness protection program was already necessary at this point in the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects.
Being under the WPP is different from being a state witness. The first only means the person would be provided security by the government, while the latter includes being discharged by the court so that he or she can testify against their coaccused in a case.
The Discayas have come under fire in congressional inquiries and on social media as the owners of several companies that cornered multimillion-peso contracts for flood control projects now under scrutiny for being substandard or tainted with corruption.
The public’s rage was initially fueled by media interviews with the Discayas about their “rags-to-riches” story, as shown by their large fleet of luxury vehicles. Their company headquarters in Pasig City was vandalized by protesters earlier this month.
Marcoleta request
The couple is seeking government protection, citing threats to their safety, after naming several lawmakers allegedly involved in a kickback scheme behind the government contracts they had won.
On Sept. 8, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, then still the chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, prepared a letter to the DOJ requesting the Discayas’ inclusion in the WPP.
But Sen. Tito Sotto, who had just been elected Senate President, declined to sign and endorse Marcoleta’s letter, saying granting the Discayas state protection after amassing questionable wealth would be “unfair” to the people.
