Graft cases vs Discaya, DPWH execs transferred

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December 18, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The graft and malversation cases against contractor Sarah Discaya and eight officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Davao Occidental were transferred to the Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court in Cebu from the Malita RTC in Davao Occidental where they were originally filed, Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson Camille Ting confirmed to reporters.

“(This is) in accordance with the Court’s guidelines directing that corruption-related cases arising from infrastructure projects be forwarded to the nearest designated anti-graft court of the nearest judicial region,” Ting said in a statement sent via Viber.

In a separate statement, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesman Raphael Martinez said the transfer of venue was initiated by the two concerned local courts themselves in compliance with the SC Office of the Court Administrator (OCA)’s designation of select RTCs to handle flood control and other infrastructure-related cases.

Martinez said the transfer of records of the cases is currently ongoing.

“We will confirm once the transfer has been finalized. In the meantime, we await news from the OCA,” Martinez said.

DOJ’s National Prosecution Service was earlier deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman to handle the flood control-related cases to be filed in the RTCs.

With the transfer of the venue, Martinez confirmed that the Malita RTC is no longer expected to issue a warrant of arrest against Discaya and the other accused.

On Dec. 10, Discaya surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at its headquarters in Pasay City, after President Marcos announced that the trial court where the cases was filed was expected to issue warrants of arrest against her and her co-accused within the week.

The pronouncement also prompted the eight accused DPWH Davao Occidental District Engineering Office (DEO) to surrender before the NBI South Eastern Mindanao Regional Office (SEMRO) XI.

No arrest warrant, however, was issued by the Malita RTC against Discaya and her co-accused DPWH officials.

The DPWH Davao Occidental DEO officials charged included district engineer Rodrigo Larete, assistant district engineer Michael Awa as well as section chiefs, project engineers and inspectors, namely, Joel Lumogdang, Harold John Villaver, Jafael Faunillian, Josephine Valdez, Ranulfo Flores and Czar Ryan Ubungen.

Also ordered charged was Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando of St. Timothy Construction Corporation.

More cases 

Meanwhile, the Malabon city government has filed criminal complaints against Discaya and a former DPWH district engineer over the alleged unauthorized demolition and construction of a barangay multi-purpose building on city-owned land.

In a statement dated Dec. 16, the city government said the complaint was filed on Nov. 13 before the Office of the City Prosecutor against the Discaya-owned Alpha & Omega General Contractor & Development Corp. and Aristotle Ramos, former district engineer of the DPWH Malabon-Navotas District Engineering Office.

The case stems from the alleged demolition and construction activities conducted at Lot No. 1 along Sanciangco Street in Barangay Catmon without securing demolition and building permits or authorization from the city government.

Separate charges were also filed for alleged violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for purportedly acting with evident bad faith and causing undue injury to the city government.

The complaint alleged that Ramos and Discaya, representing Alpha & Omega, proceeded with the project without coordination or approval from the local government despite the property being owned by Malabon, in violation of the Local Government Code’s requirement for coordination with LGUs. — Mark Ernest Villeza