Metro Manila, Philippines – Two witnesses told the Senate blue ribbon committee on Monday, Jan. 19, that Curlee Discaya was the contractor of a property in a lavish residential community in Makati bought by presidential cousin and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.
The women, “Joy” and “Maria” (not their real names), wore face masks and caps to hide their faces as they attended the hearing on anomalous flood control projects.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson asked them to identify the “contractor” who told them that the new house owner was Romualdez and that they had to immediately move out of the property.
They stood and approached Discaya, who was seated near them during the committee hearing.
Discaya repeatedly asked for the removal of their face masks as he denied the allegation.
Their testimony supposedly makes the direct link between Romualdez and the Discayas, who were at the center of the kickback scheme in government projects.
The property was the alleged house inside the gated South Forbes Park community that was used to be the drop-off point of billions of pesos in flood control project kickbacks, as it was supposedly near the residence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In a series of Facebook videos last year, resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co claimed that he delivered suitcases of cash to properties of Romualdez, then speaker of the House of Representatives, including the house at 30 Tamarind St., South Forbes Park.
Romualdez had denied the accusations.
It was Orly Guteza, Co’s alleged security aide, who first revealed about the deliveries before the Senate blue ribbon committee, but a local court declared that his affidavit was falsified.
Co, who is out of the country, and Guteza did not show up on Monday even as they were issued subpoenas.
Encounters with Curlee
The witnesses, who identified themselves as office staff of the former tenant of the property, said they received an email instructing them to leave the premises by Jan. 31, 2024.
They said they did not know the name of Discaya but they recognized his face during the congressional hearings as he was the one manning the people to help immediately vacate the property.
“Sabi ko sa boss, sa colleague ko: Tingnan mo pong maigi ang mukha na ‘to…Then we both agreed na siya nga,” one of the witnesses said.
[Translation: I told my boss and colleague: Look at his face closely. Then we both agreed that it’s him.]
The witnesses said they had two encounters with Discaya. On Feb. 1, 2024, a broker, TJ Conti, introduced the contractor to them, but he was not named.
On Feb. 2, 2024, the women had a conversation with Discaya to ask them for an extension to move out, to which the contractor allegedly said “meron din kaming [we also have a] deadline.”
“We both asked baka pwede pakiusapan ang may-ari na bagong nakabili ng bahay. And then he also mentioned si Romualdez ang nakabili,” the witness said.
[Translation: We both asked if we can urge the new house owner for an extension. And then he also mentioned that it was Romualdez who bought the property.]
The witnesses said Golden Pheasant Holdings Corporation was indicated on the deed of absolute sale.
Denials from Discaya, Romualdez
Discaya rejected the claims. “Hindi pa ako nakakapasok sa South Forbes Park [I have not entered the South Forbes Park],” he told the blue ribbon panel.
“They pointed to you, they identified you, and you are denying, period,” Lacson said.
Romualdez, through his lawyer Ade Fajardo, also said the allegations were “logically and physically impossible.”
“The claims come solely from the staff of an evicted tenant, unsupported by any document, while Martin Romualdez’s name appears in no deed, contract, or payment record related to the property,” Fajardo said.
“There is no evidence – only hearsay and possibly perjured statements – and therefore nothing to answer,” the legal counsel said.
Curlee and Sarah Discaya are among the top contractors who cornered billions of government projects.
Sarah is in Cebu to face charges of graft and malversation of public funds in relation to the alleged ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental. She pleaded not guilty during the arraignment.
