Assistant Ombudsman and spokesperson Mico Clavano on Tuesday criticized contractor Curlee Discaya for describing the return of public funds as a form of “robbery,” stressing that restitution is an act of accountability to the Filipino people.
Clavano was responding to Discaya’s remarks during a Senate inquiry on January 19 into anomalous flood control projects, where the contractor claimed that the government’s demand for the return of funds linked to questionable projects amounted to the robbery of the Discaya family’s assets.
“When the funds meant for flood control disappeared, it wasn’t just money that was lost—the safety of Filipinos was compromised,” Clavano said. He added that it was wrong to label the return of stolen public funds as robbery, calling such claims misleading.
“The people were the first ones robbed. Returning government money is not extortion; it is accountability,” Clavano said.
Curlee Discaya’s wife, fellow contractor Sarah Discaya, is among those facing charges of malversation and graft over an alleged P96.5 million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, Curlee Discaya said he felt he was being “robbed” when asked to return money to the government as part of the requirements to qualify for the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program (WPP). His remarks came amid a heated exchange between Senator Rodante Marcoleta and Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon on the issue of restitution for WPP applicants.
Discaya told senators he could not specify an amount to be returned, saying he felt their family was being victimized.
Fadullon, however, rejected Discaya’s claims, calling them false. He explained that restitution is not immediately demanded, noting that the DOJ first assesses what an applicant is willing and able to disclose and prove in their sworn statements. He added that the Discayas’ failure to coordinate with the department prevented their application for protection from being processed.
