Cheyenne Suarez

12 Discaya luxury cars have no proper papers - Customs

Article (news)

Izzy Lee

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— The Bureau of Customs (BOC) took custody of 12 luxury cars owned by the Discaya couple — government contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya — due to a lack of proper documentation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/1/sara-discaya-confirms-owning-28-luxury-cars-denies-ghost-projects-1447">Sara Discaya confirms owning 28 luxury cars, denies ghost projects</a></div><p>BOC chief of staff Jek Casipit said the 12 luxury cars have no import entry and need to be checked to see if proper import duties and taxes were paid.</p><p>&quot;Dapat &#x27;yung importer nagbayad ng tamang buwis,&quot; Casipit said, adding he estimates the value of the cars to be over P100 million.</p><p>On Tuesday night, the BOC said it had taken custody of 12 luxury cars covered by search warrants, after some vehicles were spotted entering the St. Gerrard Construction compound in Pasig City.</p><p>Discayas&#x27; lawyer, Cornelio Samaniego III, said the couple owns a total of 28 luxury cars. </p><p>Samaniego said 16 cars are not covered by the warrants, but said they are willing for them to be searched in the future, provided that proper legal process is followed.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/1/dealer-of-discaya-s-cars-tagged-in-smuggling-of-2-bugattis-1250">Dealer of Discaya&#x27;s cars tagged in smuggling of 2 Bugattis</a></div><p>&quot;Antayin po natin ang proseso kung ano po ang darating kung may search warrant po or anumang pag-uutos ng korte, available po &#x27;yun,&quot; he said.</p><p>He also stressed that none of the vehicles were imported and that all documents are being prepared for submission to the BOC.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/2/vico-sotto-questions-discaya-testimony-urges-gov-t-to-act-quickly-1034">Vico Sotto doubts Discaya&#x27;s Senate testimony, urges gov&#x27;t to &#x27;act quickly before they get away&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;Wala pong in-import ang spouses na Discaya dito para maging consignee sila o gumamit. Lahat po locally purchased po, at lahat po nakarehistro. &#x27;Yung 12 luxury cars hindi po irerehistro &#x27;yan ng LTO kung meron yang tax due,&quot; he explained.</p><p>Samaniego also responded to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada&#x27;s claim that the couple owns a total of<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/2/discaya-couple-owns-80-vehicles-says-estrada-1746"> 80 cars</a>, saying some may have already been sold in the past years.</p><p>&quot;Ido-double check po namin. Nagkausap po kami ni Sir Curlee ang sabi niya baka di pa nailipat &#x27;yung mga sasakyan mga previous years. Baka yung nakabili di pa inilipat sa pangalan po nila,&quot; Samaniego said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>LAWYER: DISCAYA COUPLE NOT FLIGHT RISK</strong></div><div> </div><p>Samaniego also assured that the Discayas will not flee, after Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon asked the Department of Justice to issue a lookout bulletin against contractors involved in government projects, including the couple.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/3/dpwh-chief-dizon-seeks-lookout-order-vs-personalities-tagged-in-ghost-flood-projects-0942">DPWH chief seeks immigration lookout order vs persons tagged in &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood projects</a></div><p>&quot;Wala po kaming objection diyan tsaka wala pong tinatago ang pamilya Discaya at haharapin po namin ito nang may pagtalima sa subpoena ng House of Representatives o Senado. Makakaasa po kayo diyan, hindi po &#x27;yan tatakbo,&quot; he said.</p><p>Samaniego also said he was not yet aware of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board&#x27;s revocation of licenses of 9 construction firms owned or controlled by Sarah Discaya.</p><p>&quot;Sa pagkakaalam ko may extension sa mga bid ng mga documents pero kung ni-revoke kaagad surreptitiously, may problema po tayo sa due process,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/3/9-discaya-firms-lose-licenses-for-bidding-against-each-other-on-projects-1249">9 Discaya firms lose licenses for bidding against each other on projects</a></div><p>He stressed that the firms have no ghost projects and that all of their government contracts came from the National Expenditure Program, not from insertions or unprogrammed projects in the General Appropriations Act.<strong> —With reports from Rowegie Abanto, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><strong> </strong></div>

<p>BOC chief of staff Atty. Jek Casipit said the 12 luxury cars have no import entry.</p>

BOC chief of staff Atty. Jek Casipit said the 12 luxury cars have no import entry.