SENATE president pro tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday said the photo of him with controversial contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya which has gone viral is intended to discredit him as chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
Lacson was referring to the photo uploaded by Rep. Kiko Barzaga (Cavite, 4th District) on his Facebook page, which had the caption: “CTTO, please investigate the validity of this image of Senator Lacson’s private meeting with the Discayas.”
The post has generated more than 40,000 views, 255 varying comments and more than 12,000 shares.
Lacson confirmed the photo, which he said was taken sometime in April this year during the last week of the campaign period for the May midterm elections.
He said the photo, which included him, the Discaya couple and their son, Pacifico Felizario Discaya II, was taken at his campaign headquarters in Taguig City.
He said it was Fred Villaroman, a campaign supporter from Davao whose father, the late P/Brig. Gen. Francisco Villaroman, served under him at the PNP, who brought the younger Discaya at his office.
At the time, the Discayas’ son was running as a nominee of the Pinoy Ako party-list.
He said Pacifico Felizario II invited him to join the group’s grand political rally in the Davao provinces.
Lacson said he declined the invitation out of respect for Senate President Vicente Sotto III, whose nephew Mayor Vico Sotto was running against Sarah in the mayoralty race in Pasig City at the time.
Lacson and Sotto ran and lost for president and vice president during the 2022 national elections, respectively.
Lacson said he found it inappropriate to accept the invitation as there were other party list groups “who were including my name in their sample ballots.”
“And I thought it was not a smart political decision to join a rally of any party list group,” he added.
He said the Discaya couple later joined the meeting.
Lacson stressed: “I do not know the Discayas and that was the first time and only time outside of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings that I met them. The meeting took around 15 to 20 minutes but not before that group photo was taken.”
He said they did not discuss any campaign contribution during the meeting.
“I did not receive, nor did the Discayas offer any campaign contribution in whatever form,” he said.
“I hope this clarifies whatever insinuations are being attached to this photograph.”
Lacson is spearheading the Senate investigation on anomalous flood control projects, which involves the Discayas’ numerous construction firms.
The Discaya couple have testified that they paid millions of pesos in “commissions” to lawmakers and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to corner big-ticket government infrastructure projects.
Their firms have been accused of being involved in “ghost” and substandard flood control projects across the country.
