Sara Discaya surrenders as arrest looms

National

CONTRACTOR Sarah Discaya surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday, Dec. 9, just hours after President Marcos announced that an arrest warrant was expected to be issued this week in connection with alleged irregularities in flood control contracts linked to her companies.

Discaya arrived at the NBI headquarters in Pasay City around midmorning, accompanied by one of her lawyers, marking her first public appearance since her name emerged at the center of the controversial infrastructure probe.

Earlier in the day, President Marcos released a video message stating that authorities were preparing to enforce the pending arrest order, a statement that appeared to accelerate Discaya’s decision to surface.

In a report by Philstar, Discaya’s spokesman and legal counsel, Cornelio Samaniego III, said she voluntarily surrendered despite no warrant being served yet, emphasizing that she remains outside the court’s custody until an official order is issued.

Samaniego also rejected allegations that Discaya attempted to flee the country, insisting that the couple had opportunities to leave long before but chose to remain and address the accusations directly.

Discaya and her husband, Curlee, are currently under investigation after their construction firms were implicated in questionable flood control projects that have triggered a broader review of public works spending.

Their company, Alpha and Omega General Contractor & Development Corp., was among 15 firms President Marcos previously identified as having cornered a significant share of flood control projects nationwide, raising questions about bidding patterns and project execution.

The couple, along with nine others, is facing graft and malversation complaints over an alleged P96-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental, an accusation that has intensified scrutiny on their business dealings.

Curlee is presently detained by the Senate after being cited in contempt for refusing to answer questions in an ongoing inquiry, adding to the legal pressures surrounding the case.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)