BoC mulls ‘private auctioneers’ on Discaya luxury cars bid
NO TAKERS. The Discaya-owned Rolls-Roye Cullinan had no bidder. Meanwhile, two Mercedez-Benz G Class were sold to the same company.
Photo by Toto Lozano for DAILY TRIBUNE
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) is exploring the possibility of hiring private auctioneers to attract international buyers for two luxury vehicles belonging to contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya after a second round of bidding failed to secure owners.
BoC spokesperson Chris Bendijo confirmed Sunday in a radio interview that the agency is seeking alternative disposal methods for the remaining vehicles — a 2023 Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a 2022 Bentley Bentayga — which failed to meet the reserve price at Friday’s auction.
“The possibility of hiring a private auctioneer in case there are international bidders is something we are currently exploring,” Bendijo said.
Due to the two failed biddings, Bendijo noted the agency is open to a negotiated sale or a direct offer.
“As we have already had two failed biddings, we’re open for a negotiated sale or a direct offer. We will wait for our committee’s recommendation,” he said.
Under the “direct offers” option, interested buyers can set their own price, which the BoC would then evaluate before opening it up for challengers.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which gained notoriety after a video showing Sarah Discaya displaying its umbrella went viral, carried a floor price of P36.28 million. The Bentley Bentayga was priced at P13.87 million.
Meanwhile, the BoC successfully bid out two other vehicles belonging to the couple. The 2022 Toyota Sequoia was sold for P6 million, exceeding its floor price of P4,666,554.50, to businessman Jose Maria Esteban III.
The 2022 Toyota Tundra sold for P3.48 million, slightly above its floor price of P3,473,253.97, to RMCE Metal Products Trading Corp.
During the first auction, three of the couple’s high-end cars — a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G500, a 2022 Mercedes-Benz G63 and a 2022 Lincoln Navigator — were sold. The BoC has collected a total of P38,211,710.00 from the sales, which will be entirely reverted to the national treasury’s forfeiture fund.
Bendijo said that while destroying the vehicles remains an option if there are no takers, the BoC prefers converting them into revenue given the country’s current state.
He also stressed that the agency aims to maximize the revenue while ensuring the process remains transparent, noting that the entire auction is livestreamed and bidders are required to sign data-privacy waivers.