MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman filed non-bailable graft and malversation charges against contractor Curlee Discaya, his wife Sarah Discaya, several Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and another private contractor over an allegedly anomalous flood control project in Bulacan.
The complaint was formally filed before the Regional Trial Court in Bulacan on Thursday by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, marking another major legal action in the government’s ongoing scrutiny of multibillion-peso flood control projects nationwide.
Authorities said the case involves alleged irregularities in the implementation of a flood control project in Barangay Bulusan, Calumpit, Bulacan, and the alleged misuse of government funds intended for the project.
Named respondents include officials of the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office: Merg Jaron Laus, Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Ernesto Galang, Norberto Santos, Lorenzo Pagtalunan, Juanito Mendoza, and Floralyn Simbulan.
Also included in the complaint is Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando of St. Timothy Construction Corp.
Speaking after the filing of the case, Dizon said authorities expect the legal process to move toward the issuance of arrest warrants.
“We are here today and we have finally finalized the non-bailable cases of graft and malversation (of funds) against Curlee Discaya. Maybe, hopefully, in the coming days he will finally be arrested, like his wife and like their accomplices within the DPWH,” Dizon said.
Dizon emphasized that the charges carry no bail recommendation and that the next step would depend on the court.
“We are confident that Curlee Discaya and other involved in the case will be held accountable,” Dizon said.
Curlee Discaya has been under Senate custody since September 2025 after being cited in contempt during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation.
His wife, Sarah Discaya, is currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Female Dormitory in Cebu while facing separate non-bailable graft and malversation charges linked to an alleged P96.5-million ghost flood control project in the Davao Region.
The Bulacan case adds to a growing list of investigations into flood control projects amid heightened government efforts to determine whether public funds allocated for flood mitigation works were properly spent.
Government records showed that about P70.34 billion had been allocated for flood control projects in Bulacan from 2022 to 2025.
Authorities said investigations are continuing to determine the extent of possible irregularities and whether additional individuals may be held liable in connection with the implementation of the projects./PN
