Authorities said there will be no special treatment for contractor Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya and eight other co-accused after they were committed to a detention facility in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
Discaya was flown to Cebu on Friday evening, Dec. 19, 2025, and arrived last at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
According to Atty. Renan Oliva, regional director of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7), Discaya was first brought to court for the return of the warrant of arrest before being taken to the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital for a medical examination.
Oliva said this 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.
Eight Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers from Davao were also flown to Cebu and are now detained at the same jail facility.
Oliva said airline restrictions allowed only two accused per flight, prompting authorities to transport them in batches, with Discaya arriving last.
The three female accused, including Discaya, are housed in the female dormitory, while the six male accused are detained in the male dormitory, Oliva said.
‘Yun ang utos ng DOJ Secretary na no special treatment (That’s the order of the DOJ Secretary to give them no special treatment). Treat them as ordinary criminals,’ Oliva told reporters.
Before their commitment to the jail facility, authorities allowed Discaya’s children to briefly see her, Oliva added.
The NBI-7 also expects the transfer of another co-accused, Ma. Roma Rimando, president of Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction Corp., is to Cebu.
Rimando earlier surrendered voluntarily and is currently in the custody of the Pasig City police.
Arraignment of the cases is scheduled for the first and second weeks of January 2026.
Oliva said that, should additional cases be filed against the accused, they will only be allowed to attend court hearings via online video conference.
Earlier, the NBI said Discaya’s transfer to Cebu was due to the arrest warrants being issued by the designated Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City.
Acting NBI Director Angelito Magno explained that graft cases are raffled to specific courts.