AT A GLANCE
- Sarah Discaya, a detained businesswoman, did not admit to stealing public funds with politicians; the claim is false.
- The video circulating online is a deepfake and has been debunked, with no evidence of Discaya making the alleged statements.
- Discaya's actual Senate testimony focused on kickbacks from lawmakers, and she remains detained on separate charges related to flood control projects.
Claim: Detained businesswoman and contractor Sarah Discaya admitted that politicians and contractors were jointly stealing public funds through flood control projects.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: A reel posted by a Facebook user on August 18 carries the claim with the caption, “When Sara Discaya once said,” alongside the hashtags #reels, #viral and #facts.
The video shows footage of flooded streets and vehicles, followed by audio attributed to Discaya wherein she allegedly admitted that contractors and politicians both profit from stealing public funds.
“Kaya kung talagang seryoso kayong mag-imbestiga, huwag lang kaming kontraktor ang sisihin. Tingnan ninyo rin ang mga pangalan na nakaupo ngayon sa mga komite, sa mga ahensya, at lalo na sa mismong mga napapalakad ng gobyerno,” she said.
(So if you’re really serious about investigating, don’t blame only us contractors. Look into the names of those currently sitting on committees, in government agencies, and especially those who are directly involved in running government affairs.)
Some commenters believed she had indeed made the statements. As of writing, the reel has garnered more than 410,000 views, 5,000 likes, 310 comments and 3,000 shares.
The facts: There is no record of Discaya making these remarks. The specific lines cited in the reel do not appear in transcripts, reports, or recordings of her Senate Blue Ribbon Committee testimony, which was delivered across several hearings in 2025.
The video of Discaya is an AI-manipulated deepfake and has been debunked in two separate fact checks back in September 2025 and June 2026. The video has been recycled and paired with recent footage of flooding in Metro Manila and Central Luzon brought by the intensified southwest monsoon and Tropical Depression Neneng, which triggered class and work suspensions from August 17 to 20.
Discaya’s testimony: In 2025, Discaya and her husband Curlee testified before the Senate that at least 17 lawmakers allegedly demanded kickbacks equal to roughly 25% of flood control project costs.
They named several officials, including then-House speaker Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol partylist representative Zaldy Co, and stated they kept records of payments and meetings.
Their actual Senate testimonies focused entirely on these alleged kickbacks and the officials they claimed were involved. It never contained the sweeping personal confession featured in the viral audio circulating online.
Discaya was later arrested over charges linked to an alleged ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental.
In July 2026, a Cebu court allowed her to post bail of P1 million, yet she remains detained as she also faces a non-bailable malversation case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman related to a P53.9-million flood control project in Calumpit, Bulacan. – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com
Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.
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