MANILA – Sen.r Rodante Marcoleta on Monday strongly denied accusations that his family has ties to the controversial Discaya contractors, dismissing as “baseless” reports that his wife’s position in insurance companies was used to benefit the embattled builders.
Speaking in an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos program, Marcoleta slammed a report from Bilyonaryo News Channel which claimed that his wife, Edna Marcoleta, played a role in securing insurance bonds for the Discaya-owned firms.
“Ang hina naman ng nag-research na iyon. Diyan pinalilitaw na bayaran ang mga media. Hindi man lamang tinignan na ang aking asawa ay independent director,” the senator said.
“Ito ay hindi na magku-qualify kung ikaw ay may kamag-anak sa may-ari o kakilala sa mga namumuno. Ang katungkulan mo lang ay i-protect ang minority shareholders,” he added.
Marcoleta explained that independent directors “do not influence business interests of company owners or contractors.”
“Kahit kailan, wala kang kinalaman kung sino ang may interes doon. Ganoon po ang independent director doon [insurance company],” he said.
The controversy stemmed from reports that Edna Marcoleta sits as a director in Stronghold Insurance and Milestone Guaranty and Assurance Corporation. Both firms issued bonds to companies owned by Sarah and Curlee Discaya, whose flood control projects have come under Senate scrutiny.
In 2024, Milestone reportedly released a ₱19.29-million retention money bond to Elite General Contractor, a Discaya-owned company, for a ₱192.9-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson earlier flagged the project for discrepancies, noting that government records showed it as “completed” despite the absence of actual structures on the ground.
Marcoleta insisted that attempts to link him and his family to the Discayas were politically motivated.
“Iyon ang gusto nilang palabasin pero sa mga programang katulad ninyo, maipapaliwanag nang paunti-unti, mahimas-masan po ang mga nag-iisip ng kung anu-ano,” he said.
The senator vowed to disclose more information about what he described as a smear campaign against him.
“May nakita kaming koneksyon sa mga naninira na iyan. Sa mga susunod na araw, ibubulgar natin,” he warned.
The Discaya couple, whose firms have already lost their licenses, remain under protective custody as authorities weigh their application to become state witnesses in the ongoing flood control probe./PN
