The long arm of the law has finally caught up with those linked to the P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental.
Authorities have arrested contractors Sarah Discaya and Maria Roma Rimando, facing serious charges of corruption and malversation of public funds. A project meant to protect communities from floods… now exposed as nothing more than paperwork and promises.
Discaya, the owner of St. Timothy Construction, personally turned herself in to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) days before the warrant was served. She knew the arrest was coming. After formal processing, she was taken to the NBI detention facility in Muntinlupa.
Rimando, the company’s president, was arrested separately by the Philippine National Police.
According to GMA Integrated News’ John Consulta, Discaya went through the standard booking process — fingerprinting, medical examination, and documentation. Videos from the NBI showed her wearing the agency’s yellow detainee shirt, a quiet but powerful image of accountability in motion.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed the charges, initially before the Digos Regional Trial Court, before transferring the case to the Lapu-Lapu Regional Trial Court. The crime they face — malversation of public funds — is non-bailable.
On Thursday night, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. confirmed that warrants of arrest had already been issued against Discaya and her co-accused for both corruption and malversation.
The case traces back to early December, when the Ombudsman charged Discaya, Rimando, and several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Davao Occidental District Engineering Office over the alleged ghost project.
Also named in the charges are:
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Rodrigo Larete
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Michael Awa
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Joel Lumogdang
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Harold John Villaver
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Jafael Faunillian
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Josephine Valdez
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Ranulfo Flores
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Czar Ryan Ubungen
After months of investigation — reviewing stacks of documents, conducting field inspections, and listening to sworn testimonies from community witnesses — the Ombudsman found probable cause.
“This was the result of a thorough investigation,” said Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano. “We reviewed voluminous records, verified conditions on the ground, and evaluated witness statements related to the alleged P96.5-million ghost infrastructure project.”
Criminal charges will now move forward in court — a strong reminder that public funds are not free money, and justice, though sometimes slow, is watching.
