Graft cases vs Discaya, DPWH execs transferred

The graft and malversation cases against contractor Sarah Discaya and eight officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Davao Occidental were transferred to the Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court in Cebu from the Malita RTC in Davao Occidental where they were originally filed, Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson Camille Ting confirmed to reporters.

- By ELIZABETH MARCELO

“(This is) in accordance with the Court's guidelines directing that corruption-related cases arising from infrastructure projects be forwarded to the nearest designated anti-graft court of the nearest judicial region,” Ting said in a statement sent via Viber.

In a separate statement, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesman Raphael Martinez said the transfer of venue was initiated by the two concerned local courts themselves in compliance with the SC Office of the Court Administrator (OCA)’s designation of select RTCs to handle flood control and other infrastructure-related cases.

Martinez said the transfer of records of the cases is currently ongoing.

“We will confirm once the transfer has been finalized. In the meantime, we await news from the OCA,” Martinez said.

DOJ’s National Prosecution Service was earlier deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman to handle the flood control-related cases to be filed in the RTCs.