Philippine authorities on Thursday night arrested public works contractor Sarah Discaya over her alleged involvement in the PHP96.5-million ($1.65 million) “ghost project” in Davao Occidental.
The arrest comes as the country grapples with corruption controversies in recent months, particularly flood control ghost projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways that were never actually implemented.
Frustrated Filipinos have expressed their outrage online, criticizing the lavish lifestyles of families and relatives of politicians and contractors allegedly involved in the large-scale corruption.
On November 30, thousands of Filipinos also took to the streets to demand strong government action against officials linked to the multi-billion-peso infrastructure scandal.
Discaya, 49, who is the owner of St. Timothy Construction and is linked to several firms that secured major government infrastructure contracts in recent years, is now in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.
She faces criminal charges, including violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Malversation of Public Funds.
Marcos’ anti-corruption campaign
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed Discaya’s arrest on his social media accounts on Thursday night, noting that nine other individuals linked to the alleged anomaly were also apprehended.
He emphasized that the charges of graft and malversation are “non-bailable, and no amount of money can secure their release.”
In recent months, Marcos has expressed frustration over officials linked to the corruption scandal, which has been cited as a key factor in the Philippines’ slowest GDP growth in four years.
The country recorded just 4% growth in the July to September 2025 period amid the controversy.
Aiming to reverse the economic slowdown, Marcos then vowed in early December that those accused in the flood control scandal would spend Christmas behind bars.
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Filipinos demand for more accountability
Despite President Marcos’ efforts to address the corruption scandal, many Filipinos remain skeptical, especially after one of the key figures in the flood control project, Ako-Bikol Partylist Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, claimed that Marcos was the mastermind behind the alleged corruption.
In November, fugitive Zaldy Co released a video on his official Facebook page, admitting to budget insertions amounting to PHP100 billion (USD1.71 billion) but claiming that these were done under the orders of Marcos and former House Speaker (and Marcos’ cousin) Martin Romualdez.
“The (Marcos) administration is using all the resources of the country to silence me — that he will shoot me if I speak and use me as a scapegoat in their anti-corruption campaign,” he said in Filipino.
He also claimed that the president had ordered him to stay out of the country while investigations into anomalous flood control projects began.
‘Come home, and face me’: Marcos
Marcos’ camp denied the allegations, saying that Zaldy Co was only trying to evade justice.
“It means nothing,” Marcos said in a press briefing.
“For it to mean something, he should come home. He should face his cases. If he wants to say something, then say it. Prove it. But come home,” the president added.
“Why are you hiding so far away? I’m not hiding. If you have accusations against me, I’m right here.”
The investigations in the flood control projects are still ongoing, with Marcos vowing that the money lost from these corruptions will be returned to the national treasury.
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