(UPDATE) THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday vowed to search for the missing luxury cars owned by controversial public works contractor Sarah Discaya and husband Curlee to determine if proper taxes and duties were paid on them., This news data comes from:http://mgwmygk.aichuwei.com

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno issued the order after Customs agents served a warrant for 12 luxury cars owned by the Discayas that were not in any of the bureau’s records, and found only two of them in their garage: a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and a Maserati Levante Modena 2022.

Customs Chief of Staff Jek Casipit confirmed the seizure of the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Maserati at the St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corp. in Barangay Bambang. He said the other cars covered by the warrant were not found in the property.

Bureau of Customs seeks missing luxury cars of contractor Sarah Discaya

The Customs operation was based on a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Carolina Icasiano-Sison of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 18.

Sarah Discaya mentioned the luxury vehicles, valued at nearly P200 million, on Monday during her testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which is investigating anomalous flood control projects.

While Discaya mentioned 28 vehicles — including a Rolls-Royce, a Bentley and several Mercedes Benz models, Customs agents found only four vehicles, two that were covered by the warrant, and two others that weren’t, a Jaguar F-Pace and a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade.

The Discaya family owns St. Gerrard Construction and Development Corp. and eight other construction companies. Their firms are among the top 15 construction companies that cornered 18 percent of the budget for flood control and other infrastructure projects that were implemented by the DPWH from 2022 to 2025.

Nepomuceno said any irregularity in the importation of luxury vehicles, such as misdeclaration or nonpayment of duties and taxes, will be subject to enforcement actions under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

“The Bureau of Customs takes the issue of the missing luxury cars of Discaya with utmost seriousness. We will ensure that these vehicles are located without delay, and if discrepancies are uncovered, all taxes and duties will be collected in full,” Nepomuceno said.

Bureau of Customs seeks missing luxury cars of contractor Sarah Discaya

“Let it be clear: those hiding or abetting the concealment of these cars will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The bureau is committed to decisive action to protect government revenues, enforce accountability, and uphold the trust of the Filipino people,” the Customs chief added.

Nepomuceno said the bureau is verifying at least 28 luxury vehicles tied to the Discaya family, as earlier cited in Senate hearings.

“We are looking for 28, and in the social media posts of the people who gave their stories, there were 40. So we will look into it, for how many are there for real, minimum of 28 were told in the Blue Ribbon Committee during the hearings that Senator Marcoleta is conducting,” Nepomuceno told reporters.

He added that President Marcos had ordered Customs to pursue all personalities linked to the alleged flood control anomalies.

He said the Discaya family must show proof that the correct duties and taxes were paid for the vehicles.

“Now we are giving a chance to the owners — the Discaya family — to present to the Bureau of Customs to whom they paid it. If we see that they paid it right, that’s the interest of the Bureau of Customs. But if it’s short, and there’s a difference in the paper, the family will have a problem,” he said.

Nepomuceno also confirmed that no member of the Discaya family has personally appeared before the bureau, and only their representatives have been in contact.

Nepomuceno said the bureau would conduct the investigation with fairness, transparency, and due process.

Under the law, all imported vehicles whether brand-new or used, purchase or donated are subject to 40 percent duty, 10 percent value-added tax (VAT) and ad valorem tax from 15 percent to 100 percent depending on its piston displacement.

Sotto takes aim

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto took aim at Sarah Discaya and her family’s network of contractors, accusing them of lies, ghost firms, and alleged kickbacks in government flood control projects.

Sotto said on Tuesday that Discaya was caught contradicting herself during a Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on the alleged P101-billion flood control scam.

“At first, Discaya told Sen. Erwin Tulfo she had already divested from most of the firms and was only ‘directly with Alpha & Omega,’” Sotto said.

But when Sen. Jinggoy Estrada listed nine firms under her name — St. Gerrard, St. Timothy, Alpha & Omega, Elite General Contractor, St. Matthew, Great Pacific Builders, YPR General Contractor, Amethyst Horizon Builders, and Waymaker OPC — Discaya admitted, “Yes,” before later backtracking that she was only a “part-owner.”

Sotto said the exchange exposed her in her own words. “But what’s the truth? Within just minutes she contradicted herself, either slipping up or getting tangled in her lies,” he said.

The mayor also pointed out that several companies were registered under Discaya’s relatives and even former employees. One niece, previously an HR manager earning P30,000 to P40,000 a month, suddenly appeared as majority owner of St. Timothy with P888 million in paid-up capital.

“Clearly, this is not just one person’s doing,” Sotto said. “There is a system here that allowed billions to be cornered by a few contractors tied together by family and personal connections.”

He warned that beyond the Discaya group, a wider network may be involved, including politicians and DPWH insiders.

“I’m sure there’s more to uncover, both with the Discaya group but also the system as a whole,” Sotto said. “I hope all relevant authorities act quickly, before they get away. We will not allow this issue to fade quietly after a few months; there must be accountability. Contractors, politicians, DPWH and other government employees — if not, this cycle will only repeat in our country.”

Sotto urged senators to directly ask contractors and DPWH officials in the next hearing about alleged kickbacks.