Government contractor Curlee Discaya told senators Monday that he felt “robbed” after the Department of Justice (DOJ) allegedly asked him to return proceeds from the flood control racket as a condition for entering the Witness Protection Program.
“Kasi para sa akin po, parang kami po ang nanakawan. Parang ibig sabihin, parang modern day na pagnanakaw, ibig sabihin yung nakaw ba, siya pa ang magbibigay ng pera doon sa ninakawan niya,” Discaya said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on anomalous flood control projects.
Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon rejected Discaya’s claim.
“Kasinungalingan po yung sinasabi ni Mr. Discaya na agad-agad silang sinabihan na magsauli ka,” Fadullon said.
He explained that restitution discussions could only follow once the DOJ verified what the Discayas could credibly present and substantiate through testimony.
Fadullon added that neither Curlee nor his wife, Sarah Discaya, had been coordinating with the DOJ, stalling their witness protection application.
Curlee remains under Senate custody after being cited in contempt for allegedly lying during hearings. His wife and eight others were arrested in December for their alleged role in a ₱96.5-million “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental.
The exchange highlights tensions between investigators and key figures in the ongoing probe into flood control anomalies.