Authorities arrested government contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya on Monday in relation to a non-bailable malversation case stemming from a controversial ₱53.9-million infrastructure project in Calumpit, Bulacan.
The arrest was carried out following a warrant issued last week by Branch 20 of the Malolos Regional Trial Court. The legal action stems from formal charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Discaya and several other co-accused regarding the disputed public works project.
Law enforcement officers served the warrant inside the Senate premises, where Discaya had been staying since September 2025.
He was previously held there after being cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
The Senate panel had ordered his detention during an ongoing legislative inquiry into alleged anomalies surrounding government flood control projects, noting Discaya’s persistent failure to cooperate with the committee’s proceedings.
Meanwhile, Discaya’s wife, Sarah Discaya, is currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Jail in Cebu. She is facing separate graft and malversation charges linked to a different, alleged ₱96.5-million “ghost project” located in Davao Occidental.
The Ombudsman’s indictment also names Ma. Angeline Discaya Rimando, the managing officer of St. Timothy Construction, alongside eight active and former officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
These indictments are part of a wider crackdown and a series of legal cases emerging from deep investigations into corruption and irregularities within state-funded infrastructure and flood mitigation projects nationwide.