DOJ slams Discaya’s remarks, finger heart amid corruption row
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sunday, September 28, slammed the actions and remarks of Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, calling them a sign of “insincerity and complacency.”
In a message to reporters, DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said that the “heart sign” and the remarks of Discaya are all “taken into account in the assessment and evaluation of the persons involved.”
“We urge all persons of interest in this case to behave accordingly,” Clavano said in a message to reporters.
What prompted the callout?
On Saturday, September 28, Sarah and her husband Curlee, who are among the individuals linked to alleged corruption in flood control projects, arrived at the DOJ.
When approached by reporters before she entered the DOJ building, she gave a finger heart to the camera but refused to answer questions.
Upon leaving the DOJ, she also refused to answer the questions of reporters, but she said: “Gandahan niyo ’yung memes ko.” (Make my memes look good.)
On September 24, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that the embattled Discaya couple and former engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways are now considered "protected witnesses."
However, he clarified that the individuals would still undergo a strict evaluation to see if they qualify as state witnesses.
If the Discaya couple is not qualified as state witnesses, their criminal and civil liabilities will not be waived.
The construction and infrastructure companies linked to the Discayas bagged a total of about 421 projects worth approximately P31.04 billion from 2022 to 2024.
These contracts primarily involved government flood control projects, which are alleged to be anomalous.
The companies founded by Curlee and Sarah Discaya alone secured P25.2 billion worth of contracts from 345 solo and joint projects. Additional linked firms under their control brought the total contract value to over P31 billion.
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