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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Sarah Discaya pleads not guilty to graft, malversation raps

Sarah Discaya pleads not guilty to graft, malversation raps

Published Jan 13, 2026 04:10 pm
DISCAYA (Radyo Pilipinas FB)
DISCAYA (Radyo Pilipinas FB)
CEBU CITY – Businesswoman Sarah Discaya denied involvement in the alleged anomalous P96.5-million flood control project in Davao Occidental.
Discaya pleaded not guilty to charges of graft and malversation of public funds when she appeared for her arraignment before the Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27 on Tuesday morning, Jan. 13.
Also pleading not guilty were Maria Roma Rimando, the president of the Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction, and eight officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Davao Occidental – Rodrigo Larete, Michael Awa, Joel Lumogdang, Harold John Villaver, Jafael Faunillian, Josephine Valdez, Ranulfo Flores, and Czar Ryan Ubungen.
The accused were escorted by heavily armed police personnel when they were brought to the sala of Judge Nelson Leyco around 10 a.m. Discaya and Rimando appeared covering their faces with a scarf and wearing prison shirts and bullet proof vests.
The court denied the appeal of the accused to junk the charges against them. A plea seeking to transfer Discaya’s custody from the Lapu-Lapu City Jail to the National Bureau of Investigation was also junked.
The accused was immediately sent back to the Lapu-Lapu City Jail after the arraignment.
The court scheduled the pre-marking of evidence on Jan. 27 and the pre-trial conference on Feb. 3.
Discaya and company are accused of conniving in a flood control project in Davao Occidental that was allegedly not completed or was not implemented at all.
She was flown to Cebu on Dec. 19 and was placed in a regular cell at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-run Lapu-Lapu City Jail.
Authorities have said that no special treatment will be given to Discaya, who appeared in several Senate hearings before being arrested.

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