President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the impending arrest of Sarah Discaya, owner of St. Timothy Construction, and other officials over a P100-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental. According to Marcos, investigations revealed that the project, which was supposedly completed in 2022, was never actually started. "According to the investigation, this project, which was said to have been completed in 2022, was never started at all," the President said in a recorded message. The Office of the Ombudsman will soon file malversation and falsification of public documents charges against Discaya and other key officials of her firm, after it was determined that certificates of completion and inspection reports submitted to the government were falsified. At a press briefing following the President's announcement, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano confirmed that criminal cases will be filed against Discaya and her alleged cohorts. "The Office of the Ombudsman finds probable cause to file criminal charges in connection with an alleged P96.5 million ghost project in Davao Occidental," he said. Indigenous groups and barangay officials corroborated the report. Authorities have been instructed to prepare for the arrests as soon as the charges are formally filed. "I have directed the DILG and the PNP to ensure that they know the whereabouts of Discaya and the others so that when the arrest warrant is issued, they can be arrested immediately... This is just the beginning," the President said. One of her firms had previously been blacklisted by the DPWH but was later allowed to participate in government projects again.
