The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it aims to finish within 60 to 90 days its investigation into 30 seized luxury vehicles linked to the Discaya family, focusing on possible tax deficiencies, illegal importation and questionable Land Transportation Office (LTO) registrations.
The vehicles are tied to couple Pacifico “Curlee” and Sarah Discaya, contractors whose companies have been flagged in Senate hearings for cornering flood-control projects through alleged political connections.
Lawmakers and investigators have linked the couple to firms that secured multimillion-peso contracts despite limited track records.
The Discayas’ names have surfaced repeatedly in the Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into ghost and substandard flood-control projects, where senators noted glaring irregularities in bidding and implementation.
Their companies allegedly operated also as dummies for larger networks of favored contractors.
The couple’s rise in public works contracting, particularly in flood-mitigation projects in Northern Luzon and Metro Manila, has drawn scrutiny amid findings of duplicate projects, rounded-off budget figures, and possible collusion with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials.
The BOC investigation is expected to dovetail with ongoing inquiries into their financial dealings.
BOC deputy chief of staff Chris Bendijo said eight of the 30 vehicles were found with deficient import entries and certificates of payment, while seven had no certificates of payment at all.
The rest carried complete documents, but their declared duties and taxes will be reviewed. Twelve units were initially seized under a court-issued warrant for lack of proof of tax payment.
Bendijo said importers and consignees have until September 17 to submit payment certificates.
After the deadline, the Post-Clearance Audit Division will examine the records and declared values to determine if proper taxes were paid. The legal division expects to conclude the process within 90 days and issue seizure and detention orders if warranted.
The BOC stressed that under current rules, importers must present a valid certificate of payment before securing vehicle registration with the LTO.
Some seized cars had official receipts and registration despite incomplete documents.
The bureau is coordinating with the LTO to determine how these were processed.
The probe follows Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings citing at least 40 luxury vehicles, of which 30 have been surrendered to the BOC. The agency also noted that some units were linked to officials of the DPWH whose ownership and tax compliance will be reviewed.
Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the BOC remains committed to safeguarding government revenues and promoting accountability in line with its mandate.
