PASIG City Mayor Vico Sotto said the arrest of Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya is a “good start” toward holding those behind the alleged Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) corruption accountable. In a video message posted on Facebook on Saturday, Sotto said that the Discaya couple trained their children to be corrupt. Their parents named some of their construction firms after their children, including St. Gerrard, St. Timothy, St. Matthew and YPR, and used these companies to secure major infrastructure projects linked to the DPWH. Sotto cited St. Matthew Corp., which Matthew Carl Discaya, the couple’s second son, acquired at the age of 18 in 2022 for P245 million and which later received at least P17 billion in DPWH contracts. Sotto also pointed to Way Maker General Contractor, a one-person corporation registered in 2021 by Gerard William Francisco Discaya, their first son, at the age of 18, with P50 million in authorized capital stock. The company secured about P3 billion worth of DPWH projects in 2023 alone. Some properties were even registered under the children’s names when they were still minors, Sotto said, arguing that the Discayas failed to protect their children and instead trained them to continue illicit practices. The mayor warned against claims portraying the Discayas as “small fish,” citing Anti-Money Laundering Council findings showing over P180 billion in inflows from bank accounts linked to just four of their nine companies. He said the couple was not merely contractors but instigators who operated across several administrations and congressional leaderships, allegedly lobbying lawmakers and hosting meetings to present available DPWH funds. Sotto said the Discayas continue to lie and change their narratives. He claimed they threatened former employees who might testify against them and pressured two congressmen for cash in exchange for being excluded from supposed “ledgers.” He also criticized how the couple involved their children in business dealings, saying they should have considered the welfare of their children before exposing them to corruption. The mayor said the best the Discayas can do now is show remorse, but he added that they appear unrepentant. He urged the public not to relent, saying accountability would only come about if citizens continued to press for answers, remain vigilant and refuse to let the issue fade. Sotto called the arrest a “good start” in the slow-moving justice system, adding that momentum is now moving in the right direction and that those who once believed they were untouchable are finally facing scrutiny.