(UPDATE) TENSIONS flared in Pasig City on Thursday after protesters demanding accountability for ghost and substandard flood control projects stormed the compound of St. Gerrard Construction and defaced its gate, prompting Mayor Vico Sotto to call for calm while the Discaya family vowed to file charges.

“I understand that we are angry and frustrated, but let’s not resort to violence or acts that could potentially lead to violence or injuries,” Sotto said on Thursday.

Sotto warned that violence would not harm the corrupt but instead put security guards, workers and the protesters themselves at risk.

At the same time, he urged residents not to lose hope, saying the momentum is now on the side of reform and stressing that accountability, stronger institutions and the rule of law must be pursued without shortcuts.

“Rest assured, we in the LGU (local government unit) will continue to do our part with investigation, case buildup and even prosecution. Not just for the Discaya companies. Anything we can do to help.”

Sotto said the city government has already begun coordinating with at least five national agencies, noting that their actions have started to accelerate.

He added that the LGU is pressing forward with its own crackdown, continuing criminal cases and administrative actions against illegal building structures and delinquent businesses.

Earlier, several groups held a protest in front of the home of contractors Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya in Barangay Bambang, accusing them of anomalous flood control projects.

The demonstrators, led by Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, and joined by flood survivors and environmental groups, marched to the St. Gerrard office where they banged on the gate, threw mud, and painted the words “thieves” and “jail them.”

Pasig Police chief Col. Hendrix Mangaldan said he was disappointed with the actions and denied claims that police in the area were there to protect the Discayas instead of ensuring the safety of rallyists.

The Discaya family, through their lawyer and spokesman Cornelio Samaniego III, said they would pursue charges against those responsible for the protest.

“We will file a criminal case against the organizer. We are collating evidence based on CCTV,” Samaniego said.

He added that the couple was saddened by the incident, saying it should not have escalated to violence.

“We appeal to the rallyists to be calm, and please don’t use violence or destroy the property of the Discayas.”

Samaniego also called on police to secure the compound and maintain peace and order during protest actions.

One of the groups, the People Surge National Alliance of Disaster Survivors, demanded accountability for flood control projects that “wasted billions in public funds while leaving millions of Filipinos underwater.”

The protests triggered a call for calm from the Palace, as well.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the public should avoid sowing violence and let the legal process take its course. She added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not condone public disorder.

The protesters cited a report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism that the Discaya family controlled nine construction companies, including St. Gerrard Construction, St. Timothy Construction, and Alpha and Omega Construction.

“Together, these firms bagged 421 government projects worth P31 billion, including flood control projects tagged as overpriced, poorly designed, and in some cases ghost projects. Alpha and Omega alone ranked second among the 15 contractors awarded P100 billion worth of flood control projects over the past three years,” the statement read.

“Yet despite these massive deals, flooding continues to worsen. Between 2022 and 2025, the government allocated nearly P680.2 billion for flood control projects, but recent storms Crising, Dante, Emong and the enhanced monsoon still caused P6.12 billion in damages. Instead of protecting communities, these projects have enriched politicians and favored contractors like the Discayas while millions of Filipinos remain submerged in disaster and neglect,” they added.

The group also said Marcos, who claimed to be an anti-corruption crusader, approved controversial flood control projects in the 2026 national budget.

“This systemic plunder is set to continue under the 2026 National Expenditure Program, which allocates another P250.8 billion for flood control projects,” they said.

People also said that every peso that the Discayas pocketed translated to another Filipino family submerged in floodwaters and called on the public to join protest actions, leading up to the nationwide protests commemorating Martial Law on Sept. 21.

On Wednesday, the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) expressed a “deep sense of indignation” over the “systemic corruption and moral bankruptcy” in the government and contractors over the issues on the flood control projects.

“We demand full accountability and transparency in the flood control projects, and call on the proper government institutions and agencies to persistently investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who will be found liable in defrauding the government and the people through these projects,” the PCEC said in a statement that was posted on their Facebook page.

The group commended the President and Sen. Panfilo Lacson for being “instrumental in bringing this scandal to light” and also cited the President’s recent State of the Nation Address that called on politicians and contractors to “have some shame” to those affected by flooding.

“Each year, many of our kababayans lose their lives, millions are affected and suffer displacement multiple times, and property damage reached billions [of pesos] due to the onslaughts of monsoons and tropical cyclones,” the PCEC’s statement read.

Protesters storm Discaya compound, Sotto calls for calm

“Such catastrophic devastation in human lives and properties would have been vastly mitigated had the government’s comprehensive flood control projects been implemented with honesty, professionalism and in actuality, not being merely [ghost projects],” they added.

The evangelical group called on their members to “pray fervently for our nation, which is literally drowning because of systemic corruption.”

Luxury cars in custody

Also on Thursday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it is now in custody of all 28 luxury vehicles owned by the Discayas., This news data comes from:http://nkwx.jyxingfa.com

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the Discayas surrendered 16 additional vehicles, on top of the 12 vehicles earlier secured through a court-ordered search at the St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corp. compound in Pasig City, which is also owned by the family.

Nepomuceno said the 16 vehicles are now undergoing processing by the BOC for sealing and documentation and will be guarded by Customs personnel, pending verification of importation records and to determine if proper duties and taxes have been paid by their owners.

During Monday’s raid on the Discaya property, Customs operatives agents recovered only two vehicles, a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and a Maserati Levante Modena 2022, out of the 12 specified on the search warrant issued by the regional trial court. But before the day ended, the missing 10 luxury vehicles were also recovered.

In addition, the team also found two other luxury vehicles not covered by the warrant, a Jaguar F-Pace and a Bulletproof Cadillac Escalade.

Nepomuceno said eight out of the 12 imported vehicles covered in the search warrant have no records with the BOC but registered with the Land Transportation Office.

“A proof of payment of duties and taxes is a requirement for registration of imported cars,” he said. “I already ordered a thorough investigation into how those cars were registered.”

Nepomuceno stressed that any irregularity in the importation of luxury vehicles, such as misdeclaration or nonpayment of duties and taxes, will be subject to enforcement actions under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.