Alleged Discaya Car Importer Faces Deportation Amid Flood Control Kickback Scandal

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado 

Alleged Discaya Car Importer Faces Deportation Amid Flood Control Kickback Scandal

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.Com | December 4, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is initiating deportation proceedings against Cao Cheng, a 41-year-old Chinese national alleged to be the importer of luxury vehicles owned by the couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya, who are embroiled in a burgeoning scandal involving billions of pesos in kickbacks from ghost flood control projects within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The move comes as investigations intensify into the Discayas’ alleged accumulation of illicit wealth from kickbacks allegedly skimmed from DPWH flood control projects that exist only on paper.

Sources within the DPWH claim the Discayas acted as conduits for high-ranking officials, funneling billions of pesos into offshore accounts and luxury assets.

The BI’s decision to pursue deportation proceedings stems from information received from Land Transportation Office (LTO) Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao, revealing Cao Cheng’s arrest on Nov. 27 in Makati for a string of violations, including obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of a criminal offender, illegal use of an alias, false representation, and willful misrepresentation of material information.

Cao was subsequently detained at the Special Operations Division of the Highway Patrol Group in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

LTO documents reportedly show Cao operating under the alias “Martin Zhao” in his LTO records, a deception that BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado views as grounds for deportation.

“He was found to have fraudulently acquired documentation using a different name, and this is a clear case of misrepresentation,” Viado stated. “No foreign national should use fictitious identities in transactions in the Philippines.”

The use of a false identity, according to the BI, signifies Cao’s undesirability and renders him unfit to remain in the Philippines.

Investigators are exploring whether this alleged deception was instrumental in facilitating the importation of the Discayas’ luxury vehicles, potentially shielding them from scrutiny and taxes.

Cao is set to be transferred to the BI’s facility in Taguig following inquest proceedings and a medical examination.

He will then face a formal deportation case before the BI.

If found guilty, he will be deported and blacklisted, effectively barring him from re-entering the Philippines.

The timing of Cao’s potential deportation raises questions about the extent of his knowledge of the Discayas’ alleged illicit activities and the potential for him to provide crucial information to investigators.

Sources familiar with the investigation suggest that Cao’s testimony could prove pivotal in unraveling the complex web of corruption surrounding the DPWH flood control ghost projects and the alleged kickbacks funneled to the Discayas and their accomplices.

The investigation into the Discayas’ alleged kleptocratic activities continues to expand, with authorities meticulously tracing the flow of funds and identifying individuals involved in the alleged scheme.

The deportation case against Cao represents a significant development in the pursuit of justice and accountability in a high-profile corruption scandal.