Curlee and Sarah Discaya have decided to withdraw their cooperation from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) investigation into the flood control scandal after learning that they are not being considered as state witnesses, according to ICI Executive Director Atty. Brian Hosaka on Wednesday, October 15.
“The spouses Discaya appeared before the commission and upon the advice of their counsel, they invoked their rights to self-incrimination and manifested that they will no longer cooperate with the investigation being conducted by the ICI," said Hosaka in a press conference, noting that the Discaya couple made a formal declaration to withdraw their cooperation from the ongoing investigation after refusing to answer a potentially self-incriminating question.
Hosaka explained that the Discaya spouses initially cooperated with the ICI because they believed it would lead to a favorable recommendation for their inclusion in the Witness Protection Program (WPP) as state witnesses.
He added that the contractor couple cited an interview published on Monday, October 10, between journalist Karen Davila and Commissioner Rogelio “Babes” Singson, where the topic of recommending state witnesses was discussed.
In the interview, Singson expressed his disagreement with turning implicated individuals, such as the Discayas, Alcantara, Hernandez, and Mendoza, into state witnesses, arguing that they cannot be considered the least guilty since, as he stated, they are the “principal players” in the anomalous flood control projects.
"We have not even thought about it because personally it was a far shot," Singson said in the interview, firmly rejecting the idea of granting state witness status to those implicated.
The couple referred to Singson’s personal statement during the interview, where he expressed that, at present, he saw no individual who could be recommended by the commission as a state witness. However, Hosaka emphasized that Singson clearly qualified the statement as his personal opinion, not the official position of the commission.
Furthermore, Hosaka clarified that the Discaya couple’s withdrawal will not affect the ICI’s investigation, noting that the commission has multiple sources of information. However, the testimonies, documents, and information previously provided by the contractor couple will still be used in the probe.
