Curlee Discaya joins wife as respondent in Davao case
The Office of the Ombudsman on Monday said it received a manifestation from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) adding contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II as a respondent in the P96.5-million “ghost project” case in Davao Occidental tied to his wife, Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya.
“Well, as far as I can reveal, a manifestation was given by the DPWH through Secretary Vince Dizon, now impleading Mr. Curlee Discaya in the same case in Davao Occidental, where his wife is already impleaded,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said at a press briefing.
To implead means to officially include a person in a court case or take legal action against them so they can respond to claims or be held responsible if necessary.
Clavano said they likewise received affidavits from “various people” stating that Curlee “has beneficial ownership or is exercising control over the companies involved in the Davao Occidental case.”
“When you say beneficial ownership, it is all included. Either they are the ones who signed on behalf of the corporations, even though they are not on paper,” the assistant ombudsman added. “They are the ones giving instructions to the people in the company, exercising dominion over the company essentially. So even though they are not on paper, they are the ultimate beneficial owners of the company. And that is a challenge for us.”
Conspiracy
According to reports, Curlee has remained in Senate detention after senators cited him for contempt for allegedly lying and giving inconsistent statements during a hearing on the flood control scandal last year.
On Dec. 5, the Ombudsman filed graft and malversation charges against Sarah, who serves as president of her construction company, and eight DPWH officials over the alleged anomalous flood control project in Davao Occidental.
Clavano said the charges were filed in the regional trial court in Digos City but were later transferred to the Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Cebu, a special court designated by the Supreme Court to try infrastructure-related corruption cases.
The Ombudsman accused Sarah and others of conspiring to facilitate the release of funds for the construction of a concrete revetment, or retaining wall, at Barangay Culaman in Jose Abad Santos town, Davao Occidental.
The project was awarded to the Discayas’ St. Timothy Construction Corp., on Jan. 22, 2022, one of the 15 firms listed by President Marcos that cornered the flood control projects in the country, and was reported completed on Oct. 2, 2022.
It was, however, never implemented, according to official government inspection findings and witness accounts, Clavano said.
Bonoan’s counteraffidavit
This is the second flood control corruption case brought to court by the Ombudsman and the first involving the Discayas.
Meanwhile, former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan has filed his counteraffidavit at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the plunder case lodged against him.
Bonoan arrived at the DOJ office in the City of Manila around 2 p.m. on Monday.
The former DPWH chief confirmed that the document was in connection to the plunder case filed against him.
Bonoan is a co-respondent in the plunder case filed by the National Bureau of Investigation in the DOJ against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in relation to the flood control corruption scandal.
Bonoan also confirmed that he is planning to leave the country soon for the United States for the operation of his wife, adding that the DOJ permitted him to travel abroad.
It was not clear if this was despite the precautionary hold departure order issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court on Feb. 10 against Bonoan and several others, including former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former regional director Gerard Opulencia, and former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara.
Bonoan returned last month from the United States after he accompanied his wife last November for a medical procedure. —WITH A REPORT FROM MARY JOY SALCEDO AND INQUIRER RESEARCH
******
Get real-time news updates: inqnews.net/inqviber
