Curlee Discaya charged with graft, malversation over Bulacan flood control project
The Office of the Ombudsman charged Curlee Discaya and 10 others with graft and malversation in connection with an alleged anomalous flood control project in Calumpit, Bulacan.
In an interview with the press on June 4 morning, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said Discaya is being charged over a substandard flood control project in Barangay Bulusan, Calumpit. The charges are non-bailable.
"Nandito tayo ngayon at finile-an na natin finally ng non-bailable na kaso of malversation si Curlee Discaya," Dizon told the press. "Siguro, hopefully, sa mga susunod na araw finally din maaresto na siya, tulad ng kanyang asawa at tulad din ng mga kakontsaba nila sa loob ng DPWH, pati na rin 'yung mga kakontsaba nilang ibang mga opsiyal ng gobyerno."
The project in question is in one of three barangays in Bulacan that have been perennially flooded in the past few years, according to Dizon, even during the dry months.
"Ito 'yung mga flood control na binaboy," Dizon said. "Hindi puwedeng hindi managot 'to; pero hindi rin pwedeng hindi natin ayusin 'yung mga proyektong 'yon."
The filing of new charges against Discaya and other DPWH officials was a multi-agency effort by the Commission on Audit, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Justice, and the Ombudsman.
Dizon appealed for patience as putting together cases against the flood control scam's "big fish" takes time.
"Hindi tayo puwedeng basta-basta lang mag-file ng kaso. Kailangan matibay 'yung ebidensya. At dito sa kasong finile ngayon ng Ombudsman...kampante tayo na talagang mananagot sina Curlee Discaya at 'yung iba pang sampung kasama sa kasong ito," Dizon said.
He added Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano would later assure the public of the government's continued efforts in the flood control scam.
"Nakita niyo naman na dalawang magkasunod na kaso ang finile ng Ombudsman. Sabi sa akin kanina ni Assistant Ombudsman Mico, tuloy-tuloy pa ito; meron pang mga iba sa susunod na linggo," Dizon said.
Curlee and his wife Sarah Discaya have been embroiled in the flood control scam since 2025, when it was discovered that several of their construction firms were connected to numerous "ghost" flood control projects across the country. Referring to their construction empire as a "syndicate," Dizon compared them to "pork barrel queen" Janet Napoles for their infamy.
"Big fish talaga ang mga Discaya. Parang Napoles 'yan dito sa flood control scam. 2016 pa lang nag-ooperate sila, bilyun-bilyong piso ang kanilang ninakaw. Iba't ibang project mula Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao," Dizon said.
Curlee Discaya has been under Senate custody since September 2025 after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee cited him in contempt for allegedly providing inconsistent information about his wife Sarah's absence during the committee's flood control hearings.
Sarah Discaya is currently jailed in the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Female Dormitory in Mactan, Cebu for the non-bailable charges of graft and malversation in connection to her involvement with the P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental.
