The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confirmed on Tuesday that all twelve luxury vehicles linked to the Discaya family have been secured following a court-ordered search at St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corp. in Pasig City.
Earlier, BOC teams recovered two vehicles covered by the search warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 18: a Toyota LC300 3.3 V6 ZX AT SUV 2024 and a Maserati Levante Modena 2022.
The remaining ten vehicles were initially unaccounted for. BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno warned, “Those hiding or abetting the concealment of these cars will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.” He added that any discrepancies would lead to the full collection of duties and taxes.
By evening, seven vehicles were surrendered and secured at the St. Gerrard compound. These include a Rolls Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Mercedes Benz G-500, Mercedes AMG G 63 AMG, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Sequoia, and Cadillac Escalade.
The last three — a GMC Yukon Denali SUV and two Lincoln Navigators — are currently at authorized service centers for repair and will be handed over to the BOC afterward.
“All subject vehicles have been formally sealed by Customs and are under round-the-clock guard by personnel of the BOC and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG),“ the BOC said in a statement.
The Discayas' luxury vehicles were previously questioned during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on flood control projects, the contractors involved, and allegations of corruption.
During the Monday hearing, Alpha and Omega Construction president Sarah Discaya admitted that she and her husband own 28 luxury cars, raising concerns about whether taxes on the vehicles had been properly paid.
Sarah Discaya said she did not buy the cars with tax money, but with their own funds. According to Discaya, the vehicles are also regularly used by their four children, while the rest of their cars are used by their companies.
The Discayas' lawyer, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III, denied any attempt to hide the vehicles.
”Ginagamit ho kasi yung ibang sasakyan, yung iba naman for maintenance. 'Yung iba naman nalagay sa ibang lugar kasi preemptive measure sila dahil nagbabaha dito sa Pasig. Bakit itatago eh legal ang mga 'yun,” Samaniego said.
He also emphasized that buying luxury vehicles is not against the law and denied that the Discayas were involved in any illegal activity.
Sarah Discaya admitted owning or having stakes in several construction firms, and the family has been listed among the top contractors awarded flood control projects in recent years.
Meanwhile, Senator Jinggoy Estrada claimed that the Discayas may actually own more than 40 luxury vehicles and around 80 cars in total.
The BOC will continue verifying the importation records of the vehicles. Any violations will result in enforcement and legal action under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
This action is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to intensify anti-smuggling efforts, protect government revenues, and uphold transparency.
