A Department of Justice (DoJ) official clarified that the “mitigating circumstance” of voluntary surrender for contractor Sarah Discaya only applies to the case already filed against her — it doesn’t automatically extend to any future cases.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon explained that the provision is relevant to the Davao Occidental case, where Discaya faces charges of malversation and falsification of public documents in connection with an alleged P95.5 million “ghost project.”

Discaya voluntarily submitted herself to the National Bureau of Investigation ahead of an impending arrest warrant, which Fadullon said qualifies as a voluntary surrender.

“If the case proceeds and a court rules on it, her voluntary surrender can be considered as one of the mitigating circumstances, which could potentially reduce her criminal liability,” Fadullon said.

However, the DoJ was clear: this only applies to the Davao Occidental case. The surrender does not prevent authorities from pursuing other findings or filing new cases in the future.

According to Discaya, her decision to surrender should not be seen as an admission of guilt. She stressed that her intent was simply to face the charges through the proper legal channels, with her voluntary action potentially allowing for a lighter sentence if convicted.