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December 5, 2025 | 1:38pm
Controversial government contractor Sarah Discaya answers senators' questions at the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing into anomalous infrastructure projects on Sept. 8, 2025.
Senate SMU / Wendell D. Alinea
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman is set to file criminal charges against contractor Sarah Discaya and regional Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials over an alleged P96.5-million ghost infrastructure project in Davao Occidental.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano announced on Friday, December 5, that the office found probable cause to file malversation charges, suspecting DPWH engineers and contractors of conspiring to release project funds without completing the work.
The ghost project involves a revetment in Barangay Culaman, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental and was awarded to Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction Corp. in January 2022.
“There was no actual construction. Yet, respondents certified that the project was completed,” Clavano said.
In September, the DPWH and Independent Commission for Infrastructure discovered that the revetment project had been fully paid and marked complete, despite actual construction starting only weeks after President Bongbong Marcos launched the flood control probe.
During the inspection, Davao Occidental district engineer Rodrigo Larete admitted to the DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon that he paid the P96.5 million to St. Timothy Construction Corp. as early as October 2022.
The respondents in the case include Larete, assistant district engineer Michael Awa, section chiefs, project engineers, and inspectors from the DPWH Davao Occidental District Engineering Office.
Discaya and Maria Roma Rimando, president and authorized managing officer of St. Timothy Construction, are also included as respondents.
“They are found to have falsified accomplishment reports, issued fraudulent billing documents, and endorsed disbursement vouchers that triggered the release of the entire project cost,” Clavano said.
He added that the Ombudsman has already placed the involved DPWH Davao Occidental officials under preventive suspension for six months.
They will be charged for malversation through the falsification of documents under Article 217, in connection with Articles 171 and 172 of the Revised Penal Code, and for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
As the case involves malversation, Clavano said the prosecution has recommended no bail, so respondents would remain in detention pending trial if and when arrested.
Marcos also announced on Friday the expected arrest of the Discaya couple involved in the ghost project, saying he has directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police to monitor their locations to facilitate the serving of arrest warrants.
The criminal complaint will be filed before the Regional Trial Court in Digos City, Davao del Sur on Friday.
