MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. dismissed as unproven the explosive claims of contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya on alleged kickbacks in flood control projects, stressing that such accusations remain “mere allegations” until validated by thorough investigation.
“Yeah, can I correct that? These are not revelations; they are allegations. Those are very different… Allegations and revelations are extremely different,” Marcos told reporters during his visit to Cambodia.
The President underscored that an independent body will be created to probe the issues flagged by the Discayas. “Kailangan masalimuot at detalyado ang ating magiging imbestigasyon,” he said.
Marcos also clarified that while Curlee Discaya could qualify for the Witness Protection Program, this safeguard is not linked to the couple’s allegations but to the broader principle of citizen protection.
“Not because they are making allegation, not because they are part of the investigation, but because they are Filipinos,” he explained.
The Chief Executive further warned against rushing to judgment, especially after Speaker Martin Romualdez’s name surfaced in the controversy.
“Alam naman ninyo ‘yan that nine-name-drop lahat… But you know, name-dropping is not a crime. What is a crime is that you use the name of somebody else para magnakaw,” he remarked.
While acknowledging that corruption in public works has long been entrenched, Marcos vowed reforms in infrastructure spending. He described anomalies in flood control projects as “institutionalized” and insisted dismantling them is a top priority./PN
