MANILA – Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Wednesday admitted to meeting contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya — figures tied to the multibillion-peso flood control controversy — but firmly denied receiving any campaign contributions from them.
Lacson, who chairs the Senate blue ribbon committee investigating irregularities in government infrastructure projects, confirmed his presence in a photo with the couple that circulated online after Cavite Cong. Kiko Barzaga posted it on social media.
The senator clarified that the April meeting in his Taguig City office was not initiated by him but arranged by Fred Villaroman, son of the late Maj. Gen. Francisco Villaroman, a former police colleague and later security aide of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to Lacson, Villaroman and Dr. Joy Catampo, both long-time supporters of his past campaigns in Davao, had asked him to consider attending a rally in the region. Villaroman is also listed as a nominee of the Ako Pinoy party-list group.
“I begged off since a few other party-list groups were carrying my name in their sample ballots. I thought it was not a smart political move to join any party-list rally,” Lacson said.
He added that Sarah Discaya was then running against Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, nephew of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Lacson’s 2025 running mate under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition.
“By the way, I did not receive, nor did the Discayas offer any campaign contribution in whatever form,” Lacson stressed.
“Also, I did not have any idea who they were or their business since we didn’t talk much. It was Fred Villaroman who did most of the talking,” he added./PN
