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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Sarah Discaya detained in Lapu-Lapu City

Sarah Discaya detained in Lapu-Lapu City

Published Dec 20, 2025 10:40 am  |  Updated Dec 20, 2025 01:05 pm
A HEAVILY covered Sarah Discaya (right) arrives at the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital for medical examination before her commitment to the Lapu-Lapu City Jail past midnight Saturday, Dec. 20. (NBI-7)
A HEAVILY covered Sarah Discaya (right) arrives at the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital for medical examination before her commitment to the Lapu-Lapu City Jail past midnight Saturday, Dec. 20. (NBI-7)
CEBU CITY — There will be no special treatment that will be given to contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, who was committed to a detention facility in Lapu-Lapu City along with eight other individuals accused of being involved in a multi-million anomalous flood control project.
“That's the order of the DOJ (Department of Justice) Secretary to give them no special treatment. Treat them as ordinary criminals,” Renan Oliva, director of the National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-7), said past midnight Saturday, Dec. 20.
Oliva and two other female accused will be detained at the female dormitory of the Lapu-Lapu City Jail. The six male accused will be locked up at the facility’s male dormitory.
Discaya, along with her co-accused, was flown to Cebu on Friday evening, Dec. 19. The aircraft that carried her arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) at 6:13 p.m. and was the last to disembark.
Discaya was first brought to the court for the return of the warrant of arrest before she was brought to the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital for a medical examination.
Oliva said the process was part of standard procedure before Discaya was issued a commitment order and transferred to the Lapu-Lapu City Jail in Sitio Soong, Barangay Mactan.
Discaya was arrested for graft and malversation in connection with the alleged P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental.
Aside from Discaya, eight Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers from Davao were also transported to Cebu and are now detained at the same jail facility.
“They will join other inmates. There will be no special room for them,” Oliva added.
Oliva disclosed that prior to her commitment to the jail facility, Discaya was allowed to briefly see her children.
Another co-accused, Maria Roma Rimando, president of Discaya-owned Saint Timothy Construction Corp., is also expected to be flown to Cebu.
Rimando is in the custody of the Pasig City police after she surrendered.
Oliva said arraignment of the cases is scheduled for the first and second weeks of January 2026.
Should additional cases be filed against the accused, they will only be allowed to attend court hearings via online video conference, Oliva said.
Discaya’s transfer to Cebu was due to the arrest warrants issued by the designated Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court Branch 27.
Discaya had to be brought to Cebu as graft cases are raffled to specific courts.

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Sarah Discaya Flood control Lapu-Lapu City
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