Businesswoman Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya, whose family-owned firms have won billions in government construction contracts, faced tough questioning at the Senate this week over allegations of corruption and unexplained wealth.
During the hearing, Senator Jinggoy Estrada pressed Discaya on whether her companies gave “percentages,” or kickbacks, to secure projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). She denied the claim twice, insisting her businesses operate legitimately.
But Estrada and other lawmakers pointed to a glaring inconsistency that has fueled public skepticism. In a previous televised interview with a well-known media personality, Discaya had openly boasted that she and her husband owned 40 luxury vehicles.
At the Senate hearing, however, she scaled back that number, saying they had “at least 28” cars.
The vehicles she acknowledged include a Mercedes-Maybach, a Rolls-Royce, and a series of Range Rovers, alongside other high-end imports.
But her shifting account has only deepened public suspicion. The Bureau of Customs is currently investigating whether some of the vehicles were undervalued at importation, a scheme that could amount to large-scale tax evasion.
Discaya’s construction empire, led by St. Gerrard Construction Corporation and several other firms, rose rapidly during the Duterte and Marcos Jr. administrations.
Watchdogs have flagged several flood control projects awarded to her companies as either incomplete or substandard, despite billions of pesos in government funding.
Her personal story, from the daughter of Filipino overseas workers in London to the owner of one of the country’s biggest contracting portfolios, has often been framed as a rags-to-riches tale.
But the Senate inquiry now threatens to unravel that narrative, recasting it as a cautionary example of how public funds and political patronage can intertwine with private fortune.
“Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng mag-asawa na ganyan karami ang luxury cars,” Estrada said.
“For all the Filipino people this is unbelievable… Tapos pero ng gobyerno. Ano ba? Nasaan ang konsensya niyo madam?” Estrada added.
Discaya, maintaining composure, responded:
“Wala po akong binibigyan sa DPWH.”
The Senate probe is expected to continue in the coming days, alongside a parallel investigation into her luxury assets.
Whether Discaya’s defense will hold may depend less on the number of cars in her garage and more on whether the government can finally account for the missing billions meant to keep Filipinos dry.
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