Sarah Discaya can still leave NBI custody due to lack of arrest warrant —director

Contractor Sarah Discaya may still leave the premises of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as there is still no warrant of arrest issued against her, Acting Director Angelito “Lito” Magno said Monday.

“Of course, since wala pang warrant of arrest, we cannot legally hold her,” he said in an ambush interview.

Discaya surrendered to the bureau last week after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that an arrest warrant is set to be issued against her over anomalous flood control projects.

Her camp has said that this was a “strategic legal move” and not an admission of wrongdoing.

Magno said that Discaya remains at the premises of the NBI. 

He said that should a regional trial court issue a warrant, operatives of the bureau will still serve it.

“If ever it will come out, we will serve the warrant. It will be booked, fingerprinted, photographed, and then we will return the warrant,” Magno said. 

Discaya and nine others are facing cases for alleged malversation of public funds and alleged violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with the P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Barangay Culaman in Jose Abad Santos town in Davao Occidental.

The Discaya couple earlier expressed their wish to become state witnesses in the probe, but the Office of the Ombudsman said they have zero chance of this happening because of their deep involvement in the anomalies. 

They eventually stopped cooperating with both the Justice Department and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. — BM, GMA Integrated News