Laguna: Laguna Fourth District Rep. Benjamin Agarao Jr. on Tuesday appeared before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure's (ICI) and denied any connection with contractors Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya. Agarao was among the lawmakers linked by the Discaya couple to anomalous flood control projects.

According to Philippines News Agency, Agarao stated, "Wala po (None) your honor. Hindi ko personal na kilala ang mag-asawang Discaya at wala po akong matandaan na transaction sa kanila (I don't know the Discaya couple personally and I don't recall any transactions with them)," when questioned about his alleged dealings with the Discayas. He further expressed surprise at being implicated, noting, "Katunayan nga po, nagulat nga po bakit ako nadawit dito. Noon pong 2022 - 2025, hindi po ako nakaupong kongresman noon (In fact, I was surprised why I was implicated here. I was not the sitting congressman from 2022 - 2025)."

Agarao emphasized the socioeconomic challenges faced by his district, describing it as both one of the largest and among the poorer areas of Laguna. He highlighted the minimal allocation his region receives from the national budget, challenging the notion that his district benefited from substantial infrastructure funding. He insisted that his budget was regular and not reflective of the excessive amounts cited in the flood control corruption scandal.

He argued that his district's General Appropriations Act (GAA) allocation was low compared to the billions mentioned in the probe, stating, "Hindi kami malakas, hindi target ang aming distrito (We are not powerful, our district is not a target)." Agarao concluded that if funding truly reflected need, his district would have considerably more resources for its neglected infrastructure.