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MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has probable cause to charge detained private contractor Sarah Discaya for graft and malversation over a “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental, the Supreme Court (SC) said.
The high tribunal yesterday dismissed Discaya’s petition for certiorari against the ombudsman’s finding of probable cause to charge her for graft under Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation through falsification of public documents.
“The petition had become moot after the ombudsman filed the corresponding Informations against Discaya with the Regional Trial Court, which subsequently issued a warrant of arrest,” it noted.
It added the ombudsman’s charges against Discaya were “supported by substantial evidence.”
“Although exceptions exist to safeguard constitutional rights, maintain orderly justice or when charges are baseless or beyond authority, Discaya did not demonstrate any of these exceptions,” the SC said further.
Discaya named the Office of the Ombudsman’s graft investigation and prosecution officer I Alley Ong and Department of Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon as respondents in her petition.
The SC declared its decision during its session on April 8.
Discaya is facing the cases before a court in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu and is detained at its city jail. These stemmed from a complaint by Dizon against her, an executive of St. Timothy Construction, and eight officials of the agency’s Davao Occidental district engineering office over a “ghost” flood control project in the town of Jose Abad Santos, wherein P96.5 million had been paid despite it being unfinished.
— Ghio Ong
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
