The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has served two warrants of arrest on controversial contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, even as authorities try to round up other respondents in cases related to massive corruption in the government’s flood control program.
Discaya, along with several others, faces separate charges for alleged malversation through falsification as well as violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act linked to a P96.5m ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental.
In a statement after serving the warrants on Thursday evening, the Bureau assured “that all actions taken are in strict observance of due process and the rule of law.”
Discaya underwent the standard booking and documentation and was temporarily committed to the NBI Detention Facility, it said.
Earlier this month, Discaya surrendered to the NBI in anticipation of the issuance of warrants for her arrest as announced by President Marcos.
She has been staying at the NBI compound ever since her preemptive surrender.
Yesterday morning, Discaya, together with her husband, Pacifico, attended the preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday in relation to the tax evasion case filed against them by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
While Sarah was escorted by an NBI convoy, Pacifico, also called “Curlee,” came from the Senate, where he had been detained after being cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
In October, the BIR filed tax evasion cases against the Discayas and their corporate officer, over the almost P7.2 billion in unpaid tax liabilities of St. Gerrard Construction.
Later, Sarah was flown to Cebu to be presented before the Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court Branch 27, the court that issued the warrant.
As this developed, Former Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara returned P71.3 million to the government, which accounts for the second tranche of funds committed for restitution.
In a press briefing, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said this is part of the P300-million committed to the justice department.
“The funds returned still have a balance of P119-million from the total P300-million… Over time, we will definitely make sure that what is provided in the Memorandum of Agreement will be returned at a definite time,” he said in Filipino.
It can be recalled that the former DPWH official returned P110-million last month, an amount purportedly obtained from anomalous flood control projects.
Fadullon noted that Alcantara has been provisionally admitted into the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) and qualifies as a state witness such that he has an obligation to testify for and on behalf of the state in the cases covered by their Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
For his part, Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida shared that the subject funds were the kickbacks from the projects where he had participated.
Meanwhile, the Philippine government is poised to seize properties belonging to Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co, as authorities leverage Republic Act No. 1379, or the Forfeiture Law, to recover assets believed to have been unlawfully acquired.
In a statement, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government has already compiled a list of assets connected to Co.
He explained that the Office of the Ombudsman, through the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), was able to trace a network of assets believed to be connected to the fugitive ex-lawmaker.
Among them are two houses in Forbes Park, Makati City, the Midas Hotel and Casino, reportedly owned through Co’s company Eco Leisure, as well as the Misibis Bay Resort.
“The legal theory that is going to be applied to Co and others is that there will be Civil Forfeiture of all their assets here, and assets there [abroad],” the DILG chief noted.
For his part, acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., called on all of Discaya’s co-accused to surrender and spare themselves from the risks that come with playing hide-and-seek with law enforcers.
“Our units and tracker teams have already started working to serve the arrest warrant against all the respondents in this case. With the preparations that we did and the coordination with other law enforcement agencies, we are confident of locating and accounting for all of them in the soonest possible time,” he said. (with Vince Lopez)
