MANILA, Philippines — Following the vandalism of their property and the emergence of alleged irregularities in flood control projects managed by their construction companies, the Discaya family has handed over 16 additional luxury cars to the Bureau of Customs (BOC). This action increases the total number of luxury vehicles in BOC custody to 28.
On September 4, the BOC confirmed that former Pasig mayoral candidate Sarah Discaya and her family surrendered these vehicles. A recent search warrant allowed customs officials to inspect the St. Gerrard Construction Corp. warehouse, where 12 vehicles were seized by evening after initially finding only two of interest. Some of the vehicles returned to the warehouse later in the day, facilitating their seizure.
Cornelio Samaniego III, the Discaya family’s lawyer, explained that some cars were relocated to prevent flood damage, and all were locally purchased. Despite this, the BOC seized them due to a lack of import verification records.
The BOC is processing the 16 surrendered vehicles for documentation and verification of their importation status, with records to be checked against Land Transportation Office (LTO) data. The luxury vehicles include brands like Mercedez Benz, Land Rover, Cadillac, and Porsche.
The BOC has expressed its commitment to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to combat smuggling and ensure accountability through lawful customs procedures. Both Sarah Discaya and her husband, Curlee, are involved in congressional inquiries regarding the controversial flood control projects, with Sarah admitting ties to nine firms with contracts exceeding P30 billion. However, she denied involvement in any failed or ghost projects, a stance contrary to President Marcos Jr.’s observations of substandard or abandoned structures.
The Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) has revoked the licenses of the nine firms associated with the Discayas, and the Department of Justice has issued an immigration lookout bulletin order for Sarah and Curlee Discaya.
