The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confirmed on Tuesday that only three luxury vehicles were discovered inside the Pasig City property of the Discaya family during the enforcement of a search warrant, tagging the remaining vehicles as missing.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said two of the vehicles—a Maserati and a Toyota Land Cruiser—were among the 12 high-end cars listed in the warrant. A Cadillac Escalade, which was not covered by the order, was also found and will be subject to further investigation.
On Monday, September 1, Sarah Discaya told the Senate that she and her husband owned several luxury cars, including a Rolls Royce, Mercedes-Benz G63, two Escalades, a Chevrolet Suburban, and multiple Range Rover models, among other luxury cars under their ownership.
As reported by RH Val Gonzales, the legal counsel for the Discaya family, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III asserted that the luxury cars owned by the Discaya spouses were acquired legally, identifying three dealers they transacted with, namely: Speed Seven Corp., Autoart Corp., and Frebel Import and Export Corp.
"‘Yong mga sasakyan na nabanggit sa senate hearing kahapon, ‘yan po ay dumaan sa tamang proseso, binili po sa mga legitimate car dealers... Legal po ‘yan na nabili ng spouses Discaya. Wala po kaming ilegal na tinatago," Atty. Samaniego said.
Authorities said they are still tracking down the remaining vehicles named in the warrant, noting that many of them have no importation records on file.
The Senate is currently investigating the Discaya family over alleged smuggling and possible tax violations linked to their business dealings and assets.
