BOC auction: How much did 3 Discaya luxury cars fetch?
MANILA, Philippines — Only three of the seven luxury vehicles that the Bureau of Customs seized from top contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya were sold during the public auction on Thursday, November 20.
The three cars generated a total of P38.21 million, two of which were bid out by Simplex Industrial Corp. and Lesentrell Jewelries.
The public auction was held at South Harbor in Manila, a week after the vehicles were opened for public viewing from November 12 to 14, to allow interested bidders to inspect them and complete registration and verification.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said that auctioning the corruption-tainted vehicles sends a clear message that the government intends to hold accountable those who have committed crimes.
"What’s more important than the money or funds we may recover is the symbolism and the principle that if you do something wrong, you will be held accountable, and that the nation’s resources should benefit our people," he said in Filipino at the auction's opening ceremony on Thursday.
Independent Commission for Infrastructure Chairperson Andres Reyes Jr. also said that recovering stolen assets is crucial in anti-corruption work, stressing that "without it, the financial damage caused by these people cannot be repaired."
"These seven luxury vehicles were purchased with flood control money. By bringing them to auction, the BOC is recovering the duties and taxes that should have gone to public coffers and to the Filipino people. This is justice in practice," he added.
In their investigation, Customs officials found that the import entries of the seven vehicles bore questionable certificates of payment. The BOC first issued search warrants on August 22, right when the Discayas were discovered to have several substandard and ghost flood control projects.
The Discayas voluntarily surrendered the seven luxury vehicles after tendering an affidavit of voluntary forfeiture on October 23.
The vehicles that were auctioned off include:
- Toyota Tundra (2022)
- Floor price: P4,994,079.00
- Failed bid
- Toyota Sequoia (2023)
- Floor price: P7,258,800.36
- Failed bid
- Rolls-Royce Cullinan (2023)
- Floor price: P45,314,391.11
- Failed bid
- Mercedes-Benz G63 AMD (2022)
- Floor price: 14,104,768.00
- Sold: P15,611,710.00
- Buyer: Simplex Industrial Corp.
- Mercedes-Benz G500 (2019) Brabus
- Floor price: P7,843,239.43
- Sold: P15,500,000.00
- Buyer: Simplex Industrial Corp.
- Lincoln Navigator L (2021)
- Floor price: P7,038,726.14
- Sold: P7,100,000.00
- Buyer: Lesentrell Jewelries
- Bentley Bentayga (2022)
- Floor price: P17,311,121.93
- Failed bid
The seven cars were supposed to generate about P103.87 million for remittance to the national treasury, if all were sold. Six more luxury vehicles in BOC custody are still under verification and, if auctioned, could potentially add another P120 million to the funds for the treasury, Nepomuceno said.
The BOC said it is committed to enforcing measures to prevent vehicles from entering the country without proper import permits, tax payments and required documentation.
"We will do everything to prevent this problem from happening again in our country. Our citizens can rely on the fact that checks and balances, as well as proper mechanisms, will be put in place immediately to ensure that vehicles entering the country pay the correct taxes and submit the required documents," Nepomuceno said.
While the investigation and forfeiture of luxury vehicles began with the Discayas, Nepomuceno said the BOC will also be looking into the other 14 top government contractors.
For the four vehicles that weren't sold on Thursday, the BOC said they may be auctioned off again on another day.
The luxury vehicles of the Discayas first came under scrutiny after Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto questioned two media interviews in which the couple showcased their house and a warehouse reportedly holding 40 vehicles. In the interviews, the Discayas claimed their wealth began when they became contractors for government infrastructure projects.
The couple owns nine construction firms, all of which have bagged flood control contracts since the Duterte administration. The Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board has since revoked their contracting licenses.
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