The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas (NBI 7) confirmed that contractor Sarah Discaya and eight officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Davao Occidental District Engineering Office will arrive in Lapu-Lapu City this Friday afternoon, December 19, 2025.
The transfer followed the re-raffling of their cases from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Digos City to the RTC in Lapu-Lapu City, where warrants of arrest had already been issued in connection with the alleged P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental.
The arrest warrants were issued by RTC Branch 27 Presiding Judge Nelson G. Leyco, who ordered the apprehension of the accused for malversation of public funds or property through falsification.
The warrants were signed and released on December 18, 2025, in Lapu-Lapu City.
Discaya, the owner of St. Timothy Construction, along with company president Maria Roma Rimando, is facing charges related to corruption and malversation.
Discaya was served the warrant after she voluntarily surrendered to the NBI several days earlier, anticipating the issuance of the arrest order.
She was initially held at the NBI facility in Muntinlupa City following standard processing procedures.
Rimando, on the other hand, was arrested separately by operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
NBI-CEVRO Regional Director Renan Augustos Oliva said, “Our mandate is to enforce court-issued warrants and ensure the proper turnover of the accused to the appropriate authorities.”
He added that all the accused will arrive in Cebu as scheduled and are set to be presented before RTC Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City for the return of warrants and the issuance of commitment orders.
After court proceedings, the accused will be transferred to the Lapu-Lapu City Jail and placed under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Oliva also noted that adequate security measures were in place to ensure their safe transfer and detention.
While Oliva said he was not directly involved in the decision to change the venue, he confirmed that the transfer had been approved by the Supreme Court.
Earlier, Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting explained that the transfer was consistent with existing rules requiring corruption cases involving infrastructure projects to be heard by the nearest designated anti-graft court within the appropriate judicial region. She added that the determination of venue rests with the presiding or executive judge.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) previously clarified that the transfer was undertaken pursuant to Republic Act No. 10660, which expanded the jurisdiction of regional trial courts to handle graft and corruption cases that were previously under the Sandiganbayan.
The cases were originally filed by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Digos City RTC but were later endorsed for transfer to Lapu-Lapu City.
Malversation of public funds is a non-bailable offense.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier confirmed that arrest warrants had been issued against Discaya and her co-accused.
Earlier this month, the Ombudsman formally charged Discaya, Rimando, and several DPWH officials over the alleged flood control project, which was reportedly funded with P96.5 million in public funds but was allegedly never implemented.
Also charged were DPWH officials Rodrigo Larete, Michael Awa, Joel Lumogdang, Harold John Villaver, Jafael Faunillian, Josephine Valdez, Ranulfo Flores, and Czar Ryan Ubungen.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the charges stemmed from an extensive investigation that included the review of numerous documents, on-site inspections, and sworn statements from community witnesses, which established probable cause against the respondents. (VCL)
