Contractors

Licenses 'for rent'

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Estrada, however, questioned why Discaya came to the hearing without complete records, noting she had earlier claimed her companies joined 491 biddings for flood control projects in 2022 alone, winning 71 under Alpha and Omega.

"If you come here you have to be prepared. You do not come here unprepared. You are the most prominent contractor. You have to come here prepared," Estrada said.

He also alleged that the Discayas' nine construction companies competed against one another in public biddings for government contracts under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - a scheme that one senator described as "biding-bidingan" or sham bidding.

Estrada went on to link Discaya's relatives to the other firms, pointing out that company calling cards presented by Sen. Risa Hontiveros bore the names of her husband, Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya, her son and cousins.

"From the left pocket to the right pocket," Estrada remarked, suggesting the firms were part of a single network cornering DPWH contracts.

During the hearing, Discaya clarified that she and her husband owned only 28 luxury cars and not 40. The other vehicles referred to in a feature about her last year are registered under their companies, she said.

She also claimed the interview with her husband had been spliced to make it appear that they had attributed the rise in their wealth after they began doing business with the DPWH. She maintained that their companies have been in the business for 23 years, starting with projects for local governments.