The government’s investigation into irregular flood control projects is far from finished, with Malacañang signaling that additional arrests are likely as the case builds toward next year.
Press Secretary Dave Gomez said scrutiny of the projects remains active, even as public attention has shifted to a husband-and-wife contractor pair now being compared in some circles to a past high-profile corruption figure. Gomez addressed the comparison by pointing out that authorities have assessed the couple’s unexplained assets at a scale far larger than those involved in earlier scandals, adding that both spent the Christmas period in detention.
“The flood control investigation does not end on Dec. 25. It’s only been a little over four months,” Gomez said in a message to reporters.
He noted that prior corruption cases took close to a year before cases resulted in jail time, suggesting a similar trajectory for the current probe. “The Napoles probe took almost a year before people were sent to jail. There will surely be more thrown behind bars in the New Year,” he added.
According to Gomez, individuals linked to the questioned flood control projects are expected to face imprisonment by 2026 as proceedings move forward.
One of those already in custody is Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, who was arrested on Dec. 18 after the Office of the Ombudsman filed graft and malversation charges against her and nine others. The case centers on a P96.5-million flood control project in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, which records show was fully paid for despite never being constructed.
Her husband, Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya, remains detained along with district engineers Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, and Henry Alcantara of the Department of Public Works and Highways, after the Senate of the Philippines denied their request for a holiday furlough.
