Images and clips of government contractor Sarah Discaya drinking soft drinks during a Senate hearing sparked buzz online, as Filipnos recalled her husband’s claims about her health.
The controversial contractor attended the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Thursday, September 25, alongside her husband, fellow contractor Curlee Discaya. The hearing tackled alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
A clip of Sarah requesting two cans of Coke went viral. A staff member was seen handing out beverages, giving one can to Sarah, who then asked for another. After receiving both, she briefly stuck out her tongue while placing the cans in front of her, smiled, and opened her meal in a container.
The moment caught the attention of some Filipinos, who recalled that Curlee had claimed she had a history of diabetes and hypertension.
“May diabetes at hypertension daw si Sarah Discaya, pero anlakas sumubo, nag-Coke pa panulak ‘pag break time sa Senate hearing. Meanwhile: Na para bang [andiyan] siya para kumain,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Akala ko ba may diabetes ka, maem? Ini-eme mo naman kami,” a Facebook page said, sharing a screengrab of the moment.
The post has amassed 79,000 likes and reactions, 1,100 comments, and 5,000 shares.
“Cheat day,” a Filipino quipped in the comments.
“Coke zero naman daw ‘yon, ma,” another wrote.
“Hala, lamon pa more,” a different Pinoy commented.
Coke is a carbonated soft drink known for containing 39 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce can. It also offers variants for the health-conscious, such as Diet Coke and Coke Zero
Meanwhile, on September 18, Curlee said that his wife was absent from that day’s Senate hearing due to illness.
“Hindi po siya makakarating dahil sa valid reason po,” he previously said.
When pressed about the valid reason for her absence, Curlee seemed uncertain, saying only that Sarah had a “heart condition.” He mentioned that she had sent an excuse letter to the committee, but admitted that he had not read it.
However, a letter from Sarah contradicted this, stating that she was not ill and had an “important meeting” with their employees to discuss the company’s problems and their impact on them.
Senators questioned Curlee’s response, to which he explained that his wife had a history of diabetes and hypertension.
The couple is linked to the top-earning government contractors in flood control projects, many of which, including several “ghost” projects, have been traced back to their firms.
On diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood sugar, while hypertension is a condition in which the pressure exerted on the person’s blood vessels is too high.
A global diabetes community said that while sweetened, sugary drinks can cause sharp rises in blood sugar levels, they can be useful if the diabetic’s blood glucose levels go too low.
“If a person is on certain forms of diabetic medication (notably insulin), hypoglycemia can become a particularly dangerous condition. Sugary drinks help to raise blood sugar levels quickly and therefore make for a good treatment for low blood sugar levels,” an article from Diabetes.co.uk reads.
“Between 100 and 150ml of a sugary drink such as cola or a glucose drink can help to raise low blood glucose levels back to normal. Sugary drinks can also be useful for people with diabetes prior to, or during, exercise to keep blood glucose levels from going too low,” it added.
— with reports from Philstar.com/Jean Mangaluz