Contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya voluntarily surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday morning, Dec. 9, in anticipation of an arrest order that may soon be issued against her and her co-accused.
Lawyer Cornelio Samaniego III, spokesperson for the Discaya family, confirmed her surrender. “Wala s’yang tinatago,” Samaniego said in a text message, explaining that Discaya had nothing to hide.
He added that she was accompanied by her legal counsel when she reported to the NBI headquarters in Pasay City.
Discaya’s decision came after President Marcos remarked that she could be arrested this week once a warrant is issued.
The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) filed cases against Discaya before the Digos City Regional Trial Court (RTC) in connection with the alleged ₱96.5 million “ghost” infrastructure project in Davao Occidental in 2022. She faces non-bailable charges of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents and graft.
The other accused in the cases were officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Davao Occidental District Engineering Office led by District Engineer Rodrigo C. Larete, Assistant District Engineer Michael P. Awa, and several section chiefs, project engineers, and inspectors.
Aside from Sarah Discaya, the OMB also charged Ma. Roma Angelin Rimando of St. Timothy Construction Corporation.
In filing the cases in court, the OMB said that the accused conspired to facilitate the release of P96.5 million for the supposed construction of a revetment project in Barangay Culaman, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.
Based on official inspection and witness accounts, the project was never implemented, it said.
It also pointed out that there was no actual construction, yet the accused certified that the project was completed.
The accused DPWH officials in Davao Occidental have been preventively suspended for six months because of their administrative case.
The suspension order was served by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon when he conducted his own inspection in Davao Occidental. (Jeffrey Damicog)
