Philippines: Sarah Discaya, 'queen' of flood control, surrenders amid imminent arrest over ₱100M ghost project scam

Manila: Government contractor Cezarah "Sarah" Discaya voluntarily appeared at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday (December 9), preempting an arrest warrant expected this week in connection with malversation and falsification charges tied to a nearly ₱100 million ghost infrastructure project in Davao Occidental.

Her proactive surrender follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s public vow to swiftly issue the warrant, signalling zero tolerance for corruption in public works.​

Discaya, alongside several Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) executives in the region, faces serious accusations of embezzlement and document forgery.

Marcos highlighted that her firm submitted fabricated evidence of project progress, siphoning funds meant for vital development while delivering nothing tangible.

The case emerged from the President's "Sumbong sa Pangulo" citizen complaint platform, exposing systemic graft in contract awards.​

Discaya and her husband Pacifico helm multiple construction firms that secured billions in government contracts from 2022 to 2025, raising questions about bidding integrity and oversight lapses.

Her relationship with her uncle Enteng Eusebio, former Mayor of Pasig (a city within Metro Manila), has also come under the spotlight.

Born November 10, 1976, in London to overseas Filipino worker parents —her mother a chambermaid, father a waiter — Discaya's rise from modest roots to major player now contrasts sharply with these allegations, fuelling public outrage over elite profiteering at taxpayers' expense.​

This development underscores Marcos's aggressive anti-corruption drive, with the NBI poised to execute the warrant post-filing.

As investigations deepen, stakeholders await formal charges, potentially unraveling a web of fictitious accomplishments that drained public coffers.

Discaya's legal team has yet to comment, but her NBI visit positions her for cooperation amid intensifying scrutiny.