A wealthy construction-company couple on Monday named several Philippine congressmen and public works officials and accused them of forcing the couple to pay large kickbacks to secure lucrative flood-control projects, testimony at a nationally televised Senate inquiry showed.
Pacifico and Sarah Discaya told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee under oath that at least 17 members of the House of Representatives demanded kickbacks of roughly 25% of the total cost of each approved flood-control project. The couple did not provide specific amounts or identify the individual projects involved and offered no documentary evidence during the public session, but said they kept records of the dates and places where alleged payments were made and that they were prepared to give further testimony in a closed-door hearing.
The Discayas’ allegations came amid separate investigations by both chambers of Congress and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration into allegations of corruption involving flood-mitigation projects. The scandal has prompted widespread online outrage and led to the recent resignation of the public works secretary.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, whom the Discayas said was linked to largescale bribes purportedly received by his representatives, strongly denied the allegations. Romualdez said in a statement that any invocation of his name was done without his knowledge or consent and called the claims “lies and malicious name‑dropping meant to smear my integrity and undermine Congress.”
Most of 14 other construction companies invited to Monday’s Senate inquiry told the panel through representatives that they had not paid bribes to legislators or to the Department of Public Works and Highways to win government contracts.
Roman Catholic bishops over the weekend urged wide‑ranging criminal prosecutions and the return of stolen wealth, and asked young Filipinos to use social media to "expose injustice," according to statements released by the church. The Discayas said they feared for their safety and sought protection before providing more detailed public accounts, telling senators they were willing to testify further but were concerned about personal security.
The government says it has spent an estimated 545 billion Philippine pesos, about $9.6 billion, on thousands of flood-mitigation projects over the past three years. President Marcos has ordered inspections of provincial flood-control works after officials discovered substandard quality and other anomalies, including at least one project reported as complete that investigators later found did not exist.
Marcos announced last week that he would form an independent commission to investigate the corruption allegations and would pursue criminal charges against those found responsible. He called the scale and impunity of the corruption "horrible" and said a public reporting website his administration launched to collect complaints about projects had been swamped with thousands of tips. In a recent interview, the president became emotional while describing the effect of plunder on vulnerable Filipinos.
The allegations come as the Philippines continues to grapple with frequent and destructive weather events. The country is typically lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. In July, back-to-back typhoons and seasonal monsoon rains caused massive flooding that affected millions, displaced more than 300,000 people and left extensive infrastructure and agricultural damage. At least 26 people died in that weather onslaught, the majority among poor villagers caught in floodwaters.
The Senate probe follows public attention earlier given to the Discayas after media interviews in which they displayed a fleet of European and American luxury cars and SUVs, an image that prompted further scrutiny as lawmakers and officials seek to determine whether public funds were diverted.
Senators said the inquiry will continue and that the panel may summon additional witnesses and documents. The scandal has prompted multiple parallel inquiries in Congress and increased pressure on law enforcement to gather evidence that can support criminal charges. For now, the Discayas’ claims stand as detailed public allegations without accompanying documentation presented on the record during the televised session, and investigations remain ongoing as authorities and lawmakers seek to verify the couple’s claims and other complaints about the flood-control program.