Davao: The Supreme Court (SC) announced on Wednesday the transfer of two cases involving Sara Discaya and engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways in Davao Occidental to the regional trial court (RTC) in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. This move aligns with the Court's guidelines that mandate corruption-related cases from infrastructure projects be forwarded to the nearest designated anti-graft court in the closest judicial region.

According to Philippines News Agency, SC spokesperson Camille Ting explained that the presiding or executive judge concerned is responsible for determining the nearest judicial region. The SC has previously designated several RTCs to handle anti-graft cases, reflecting their commitment to efficient judicial processes in corruption cases.

Department of Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez noted that the court's action was initiated under the expanded jurisdiction of RTCs outlined in Republic Act No. 10660, which concerns the structure of the Sandiganbayan and other courts in handling corruption cases.

Sara Discaya is currently held by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as she awaits the issuance of an arrest warrant by the courts overseeing her cases. The Office of the Ombudsman has charged Discaya and others in connection with a PHP96.5-million ghost project in Davao Occidental.