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Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya, owners of St. Gerrard Construction Company, attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News 

 

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Dizon confident in case vs Discaya, others despite not guilty plea

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768377956572disc.png" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya, owners of St. Gerrard Construction Company, attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya, owners of St. Gerrard Construction Company, attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 8, 2025. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span><em></em>MANILA — Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday shrugged off the not guilty plea of detained contractor Sarah Discaya and her nine other co-accused in relation to a P96.5 million “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental.</div><p>Dizon stood by the government’s case against the accused, saying there is strong evidence to pin them down.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/5/raps-filed-vs-sarah-discaya-several-dpwh-officials-over-ghost-project-1608">Raps filed vs. Sarah Discaya, several DPWH officials over ‘ghost’ project</a></div><p>“Lahat naman ng kriminal sinasabi nila not guilty sila so let’s just allow the process to proceed, let’s allow the trial to proceed. But we are very very confident of this case and we are quite sure that they are all guilty,” said Dizon.</p><p>“We have to really look at where the evidence will lead e. And right now, the evidence leads in Davao Occidental, to the people in DPWH that signed all of those acceptances and made all of those payments, even if the project is a ghost project. And also the contractor involved which is the company of Sarah Discaya,” he added.</p><p>Dizon was also unfazed that, at least at this point in time, the accused DPWH officials do not seem to be cooperative.</p><p>The Secretary earlier said that among the Department of Justice’s and the Office of the Ombudsman’s strategy was to first catch the “smaller fish” involved in anomalous flood control projects, in the hopes that they will name the bigger players.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/3/lacson-clarifies-p79-b-worth-of-ghost-flood-control-projects-from-2016-2025-1653">Lacson clarifies: P79-B worth of &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood control projects from 2016-2025</a></div><p>“Tingin ko kakanta at kakanta din yan… Siguro umaasa sila na makaka-bail sila, which I doubt, kasi non-bailable talaga ang malversation and ang ebidensya namin ay mabigat. Strong ang evidence,” he said.</p>

<p>Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday shrugged off the not guilty plea of detained contractor Sarah Discaya and her nine other co-accused in relation to a P96.5 million “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental.</p>

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday shrugged off the not guilty plea of detained contractor Sarah Discaya and her nine other co-accused in relation to a P96.5 million “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental.

'Lahat ng kriminal sinasabi not guilty sila': Dizon confident in case vs Discaya, others despite not guilty plea

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'Lahat ng kriminal sinasabi not guilty sila': Dizon confident in case vs Discaya, others despite not guilty plea

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 14, 2026 04:28 PM PHT

Read More:

Vince Dizon

Sarah Discaya

Flood control

Corruption

DPWH

Davao Occidental

Ghost project

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