The controversial contractor accused of involvement in a P96.5 million ghost infrastructure project in Davao Occidental is now formally facing trial. Cezarah 'Sarah' Discaya, along with 11 engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the Davao Region, had their graft cases transferred to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City on Friday, December 19, 2025.
Court Transfer and Legal Proceedings
The Supreme Court approved the transfer of the case from Davao Occidental, following guidelines that require infrastructure-related graft cases to be heard in the nearest anti-graft court within the closest judicial region. Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting stated that the presiding judge of the court where the complaint was originally filed has the authority to select and authorize the transfer.
Once formally docketed at RTC Branch 27, that court will have full jurisdiction over the proceedings, including determining where the accused will be detained and handling bail matters. The charges were originally filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Discaya and her co-accused concerning a Davao Occidental infrastructure project declared complete and fully paid in 2022, which is alleged to be non-existent or a 'ghost' project.
Arraignment and Custody Concerns
Discaya arrived at RTC Branch 27 past 6:00 PM on Friday, December 19, 2025, escorted by agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Prior to the court transfer, she underwent a medical check-up in Manila. Following the arraignment process, she was taken to the Lapu-Lapu City Jail.
NBI Central Visayas Director Rennan Augustus Oliva assured the public that the accused would receive no special treatment. Meanwhile, legal counsel for seven of the implicated DPWH-11 officials, Attorneys Paul Tristan Sato and Frank Dinsay V, filed a motion requesting that the NBI retain custody of their clients due to health concerns and old age.
The lawyers also expressed worry for the families of the accused, who may now spend the Christmas holiday separated with their loved ones in detention. They firmly maintain their clients' innocence in the alleged scheme.
Aftermath and Next Steps
After the charges were presented in court, the 11 DPWH officials were returned to Davao City. They had first been taken to the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital for a mandatory medical examination. The case's transfer marks a significant step in the judicial process, moving the high-profile allegations from the investigation phase to active trial proceedings in a designated anti-graft court.
The court in Lapu-Lapu City is now tasked with moving the case forward, setting the stage for a legal battle over the multimillion-peso ghost project allegations that have raised serious questions about public fund management in infrastructure projects.
