Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Monday alleged that several companies ranked among the government’s top 15 contractors for flood control projects are owned and controlled by the family of Sarah Discaya—his opponent in the upcoming May 2025 mayoral race.
In a Facebook post, Sotto named Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corp. and St. Timothy Construction Corporation—second and third on the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) latest list—as part of the Discaya family’s business network. He also pointed to St. Gerrard Construction, another firm linked to them, which was ordered suspended in January 2024 for violating building permit rules in Barangay Bambang.
“Ngayon, unti-unti nang nalalaman ng taumbayan ang buong katotohanan,” Sotto said, stressing that the public is beginning to uncover the truth.
The mayor’s revelations came shortly after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. publicly identified the top DPWH contractors for flood control works in a Palace press conference, urging citizens to report irregularities via the new “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website.
Sotto urged Pasigueños to speak out despite the risks. “Pasigueños, it may be difficult and even dangerous, but let’s do our part in exposing and ending these systemic practices of corruption,” he wrote.
According to the mayor, the entrenched “system” of corruption typically runs through six stages, from collusion during bidding and delivery of substandard or non-existent projects, to kickbacks worth up to half the project’s cost, tax evasion, and underpayment of local business taxes.
“May mga SOP o porsyento na diumano’y umaabot sa mahigit kalahati ng project cost (Mayor Magalong and Sen. Lacson have both talked about this recently),” Sotto noted. “May corruption na [nga] sa proyekto, hindi pa nagbabayad ng tamang buwis sa BIR.”
Sotto added that one Discaya-linked company, despite being a top contractor, declared zero gross revenue to the Pasig City government—allowing it to avoid paying proper local taxes. “Kulang din ang binabayaran nilang business taxes sa LGU. Yung isang kompanya, top contractor, pero nagdeklara sa LGU ng ZERO gross revenue. Grabe, diba?” he said.
He further claimed that once this network secures illicit gains, it channels a small portion—around 1%—into “aid” for individuals to create an image of goodwill. “Yung 1% ng nakaw ibibigay sa tao bilang ‘tulong’ para magmukha silang mabait. Buti na lang puro talo kandidato nung taga-Pasig, pati sa Partylist,” Sotto remarked.
Some barangay captains and politicians have reportedly confided in Sotto about how these schemes operate.
“We will continue the cases against these people so that we can collect the millions, if not billions, of pesos that they owe the LGU in business taxes,” the mayor vowed. He added that the city government will turn over all their gathered “red flags” and information on questionable projects to President Marcos.