Jamaine Punzalan

Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya II attends the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on anomalous flood control projects on Thursday, September 18, 2025. The hearing was attended by officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways led by Sec. Vince Dizon, along with representatives of contractors implicated in alleged ghost and substandard projects nationwide.

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17688857827469Z9A9684.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee holds the continuation of the flood control corruption scandal at the Senate Session hall in Pasay City on January 19, 2026, this time with the reappearance of former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/>The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee holds the continuation of the flood control corruption scandal at the Senate Session hall in Pasay City on January 19, 2026, this time with the reappearance of former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA (UPDATED) — Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and the Office of the Ombudsman clapped back Tuesday at contractor Curlee Discaya following his remark that he<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/20/curlee-discaya-says-he-felt-robbed-when-asked-to-restitute-0705"> felt “robbed”</a> when asked to restitute or return money to be admitted to the government’s Witness Protection Program. </div>“Medyo makapal din naman talaga ang mukha nitong si Curlee Discaya,” Dizon told reporters.“Kitang-kita namin lahat ang ebidensya laban sa kanila tapos ang lakas pa ng loob magsabi sila ang ninakawan,” the official added.He urged Discaya and his detained wife Sarah: “Siguro humarap na lang doon sa mga kaso nila…tapos ibalik nila yung pera ng mga kababayan natin.”Meanwhile, Assistant Ombudsman Clavano Mico Clavano said it was &quot;wrong&quot; to claim that restitution was robbery. &quot;Nang mawala ang pera para sa flood control, hindi lang pondo ang nawala, kaligtasan ng mga Pilipino ang nawala. Kaya mali at malaking kalokohan na tawaging &#x27;pagnanakaw&#x27; ang pagbabalik ng ninakaw,” he said.  &quot;Ang taumbayan ang unang ninakawan. Ang pagsauli ng pera ng gobyerno ay hindi pangingikil; ito ay pananagutan,&quot; Clavano added.<div> </div><div>BAIL HEARING</div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1sGzB6qxPYQ?&amp;t=1s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>Dizon appeared at the anti-graft court on Tuesday to testify in the bail hearing of nine Department Of Public Works And Highways (DPWH)-Mimaropa officials who are the co-accused of former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co in a malversation case related to a flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.The public works chief said he was confident the Sandiganbayan would uphold the strength of evidence against the accused.“May kumpiyansa tayo sa Sandiganbayan na talagang mapapatunayan na substandard ang proyekto at nagkakuntsabahan ang Sunwest Inc., si dating congressman Zaldy Co at mga taga-DPWH para gumawa ng isang substandard na proyekto at nakawin ang pera ng bayan,” Dizon said.During cross-examination, defense lawyers asked Dizon whether contractor Sunwest Inc. was formally given a copy of the inspection report conducted in September 2025.Dizon said Sunwest Inc. was not given an official copy but noted the contractor was likely aware of the findings since the inspection with Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor received extensive media coverage.He said he would look into why the contractor was not formally provided a copy of the report.The inspection found that the steel sheet piles installed in the project measured only 2.5 to 3 meters, falling short of the 12 meters required under the contract’s Detailed Engineering Design.The defense argued that only a portion of the project had been excavated and inspected, and that findings from a limited area could not be used to conclude that the entire project was substandard.Dizon said he was not informed why that particular section was excavated, but added that two to three other areas were also dug up and inspected.However, the defense pointed out that Dizon was not present during those additional validation inspections conducted by DPWH-Mimaropa OIC Regional Director Editha Babaran.Dizon said he first learned about the project after Dolor called him over the phone to report the issue.When asked if the shortage in sheet piles could still be rectified since the project remained under the contractor’s warranty bond and was not yet completed, Dizon said the defect was so immense that it could no longer be remedied.“Bubunutin mo lahat ‘yon. Sisirain mo ang buong proyekto. Talagang imposible [na ma-rectify] at wala silang planong gawin ‘yon. Nahuli lang sila,” he said.Dizon said he expected to also testify in the malversation and graft cases involving flood control projects in Davao Occidental linked to the Discaya family, as well as the Bulacan flood control project case involving former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and six officials of the DPWH-Bulacan District Engineering Office.DPWH-Mimaropa officials Gerald Pacanan, Gene Altea, Ruben Delos Santos Jr., Dominic Serrano, Lerma Cayco, Felisardo Casuno, Dennis Abagon, Juliet Calvo and Montrexis Tamayo earlier pleaded not guilty to charges of malversation and graft before the anti-graft court.The Sandiganbayan issued arrest warrants and hold departure orders in November 2025 against Co and 15 other DPWH officials and Sunwest Inc. representatives over the road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. -- with a report from Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN News<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/15/dpwh-execs-cast-doubt-on-inspection-that-found-defects-in-mindoro-road-dike-1623">DPWH execs cast doubt on inspection that found defects in Mindoro road dike</a></div>

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and the Office of the Ombudsman clapped back Tuesday at contractor Curlee Discaya following his remark that he<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/20/curlee-discaya-says-he-felt-robbed-when-asked-to-restitute-0705"> felt “robbed”</a> when asked to restitute or return money to be admitted to the government’s Witness Protection Program.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and the Office of the Ombudsman clapped back Tuesday at contractor Curlee Discaya following his remark that he felt “robbed” when asked to restitute or return money to be admitted to the government’s Witness Protection Program.

‘Medyo makapal ang mukha’: DPWH, Ombudsman slam Curlee Discaya ‘robbed’ remark over restitution

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‘Medyo makapal ang mukha’: DPWH, Ombudsman slam Curlee Discaya ‘robbed’ remark over restitution

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 20, 2026 09:17 AM PHT

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Updated Jan 20, 2026 01:11 PM PHT

Read More:

Curlee Discaya

Vince Dizon

restitution

flood control

budget insertion

kickback

DPWH

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