The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has taken a key figure in a major infrastructure scandal into custody. Contractor Sarah Discaya, owner of St. Timothy Construction, was formally arrested on the evening of Thursday, December 18, 2025, based on a warrant linked to anomalous multi-million peso flood control projects.
Booking and Detention of Key Suspects
Discaya, who had preemptively surrendered to the NBI on December 9 anticipating the warrant, underwent standard booking procedures. This included having her mugshot and fingerprints taken. She was issued a yellow shirt marked "detainee" before being transferred to the NBI detention facility in Muntinlupa.
In a related development, the president of St. Timothy Construction, Maria Roma Rimando, was also arrested. Rimando, a relative of Discaya's husband Curlee, had voluntarily surrendered to the Pasig City Police on December 8. She is currently detained at the Pasig City Police custodial facility.
The P96.5 Million "Ghost" Project in Davao Occidental
The charges stem from a P96.5 million flood control project in Davao Occidental that was declared completed and fully paid in 2022. However, an inspection conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in September 2025 revealed a shocking truth: the project was non-existent.
Following an investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman filed criminal charges before the Digos Regional Trial Court on December 5, 2025. The case has since been transferred to the Lapu-Lapu Regional Trial Court. Those charged include Discaya, Rimando, and several DPWH Davao Occidental officials, such as:
- District Engineer Rodrigo Larete
- Assistant District Engineer Michael P. Awa
- Several section chiefs, project engineers, and inspectors
Billions in Government Contracts and Asset Seizure
The arrest sheds light on the scale of the Discaya family's involvement in government infrastructure. Their firms, two of the 15 that secured the most flood control projects from 2022 to 2025, bagged approximately P31 billion worth of government contracts over the past three years.
In a move preceding the arrests, the Discayas surrendered millions worth of luxury vehicles to the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The BOC subsequently auctioned off five of these luxury cars, which fetched nearly P50 million.
This case represents a significant step in the government's crackdown on alleged corruption within public infrastructure spending, highlighting the ongoing scrutiny of high-value projects and their contractors.
