The Ombudsman has filed malversation and corruption charges against contractors Cezarah Discaya and Maria Roma Angeline Rimando of St. Timothy Construction, and nine other officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways-Davao Occidental over a P96.5-million ghost flood control project in the province.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the charges were filed before the Digos Regional Trial Court at 2:15 p.m. on Friday.

Aside from Discaya and Rimando, among those charged are DPWH Davao Occidental District Engineering Office officers. They are:

• Rodrigo Larete
• Michael Awa
• Joel Lumogdang
• Harold John Villaver
• Jafael Faunillian
• Josephine Valdez
• Ranulfo Flores and
• Czar Ryan Ubungen

The charges against them are the second set filed against those involved in the massive flood control corruption scandal since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. raised the controversy in his State of the Nation Address in July.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr said he has ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure that they know the whereabouts of Discaya and the others.

“I have directed DILG and the PNP to ensure that they know the whereabouts of Discaya at nung iba pa para paglabas ng arrest warrant ay maaresto na sila kaagad (and other individuals involved so they will be arrested after the issuance of the warrants of arrest),”

Malversation is non-bailable. This is huge because they cannot pay for their liberty. Once filed to the court, the next step for the judiciary is to issue arrest warrants against the respondents, he said.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) stated that they were ready to arrest individuals responsible for the alleged ghost projects in Davao Occidental.

The DILG shared that they were strictly monitoring the locations of the accused.