DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday said Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co owns luxury air assets worth about $74.7 million, while Cezarah Discaya has vehicles under her name valued at P218 million, both allegedly linked to irregularities in DPWH flood control projects.
In a press briefing, Dizon said the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) had responded to DPWH’s request to trace the assets of 26 individuals, including government officials and contractors.
Based on LTO records, Dizon said the 26 individuals collectively own P474.5 million worth of vehicles, nearly half of which are under Discaya’s name.
Discaya topped the list with P218.1 million worth of vehicles, followed by her husband, Pacifico Discaya II, of St. Timothy Construction Corp., with P59 million; Robert Tecson Imperio of IM Construction Corp. with P53.1 million; former EIC district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez with P35.3 million; and Sally Nicolas Santos of SYMS Construction Trading with P30 million.
Dizon said based on Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) data, Misibis Aviation & Development Corp., owned by Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Elizaldy Co, has six luxury air assets including two Agusta Westlands, two Bell 407s, a Gulfstream 350, and a Bell 206B3—valued at about $74.7 million.
Meanwhile, Hi-Tone Construction Development Corp., linked to Co’s brother Christopher, has three air assets worth $7.9 million, namely a Cessna 414A Chancellor, an Augusta A109E, and a PA 31-350 Chieftain. The Co brothers were recently named as beneficiaries of alleged multibillion-peso questionable DPWH flood control projects.
In addition, contractor QM Builder owns a Bell 505 helicopter estimated at $2 million, the DPWH chief said.
“As the President has repeatedly said, we must recover the people’s money. If anyone doubts our determination, this is proof that we will pursue the recovery of stolen public funds,” Dizon said in Filipino. “This is just the beginning—we will continue going after the assets tied to these cases. We will announce future moves in coordination with the AMLC, DOJ and ICI.”
Dizon, in letters dated September 23 and 24, transmitted the list of vehicles and air assets to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
This is in relation to the request for the filing of an ex-parte petition for a freeze order, in compliance with the president’s directive to go after the assets of those suspected of violating the law.
