19 Discaya luxury cars clean — BoC

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Wednesday cleared 19 high-end vehicles linked to the Discaya couple of any smuggling violations, though the fleet remains frozen by the government due to a multibillion-peso tax dispute.

Customs officials confirmed that all required import duties and taxes for the luxury cars were paid and the units were brought into the country by legitimate local dealers.

“Regarding these cars, after our investigation, we were able to prove that their importers paid the taxes. So there was no violation,” BoC assistant commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla said during a turnover ceremony at the St. Gerrard Construction compound in Pasig City.

Maronilla cited that a review of the documents covering the entry and payment of the vehicles found no irregularities. The findings mark a reversal from earlier actions when the fleet was publicly seized amid suspicions that the cars were linked to questionable government infrastructure contracts.

Despite the customs clearance, the vehicles cannot be moved, sold, or transferred.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued warrants of constructive distraint to secure the government’s interest while civil and criminal tax cases against the Discaya couple and their company remain pending.

“Basically, the vehicles cannot be moved because there is an ongoing tax audit case,” said BIR assistant Commissioner James Roldan.

“In the event that it becomes final, that is what can be used to fulfill their obligation to the government,” he added.

Of the 19 vehicles, 15 were registered to the couple, while four were under St. Gerrard Construction. These units are separate from the nine luxury cars auctioned off earlier by the BoC.

The BIR continues to pursue a 2025 criminal tax evasion complaint involving more than P7.18 billion in alleged unpaid taxes, along with a deficiency tax assessment of nearly P1 billion against SGC.

“We are here to preserve assets and protect the government’s ability to collect taxes while fully observing due process,” BIR commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said.

The Discayas have denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the vehicles were purchased through legitimate loans rather than the proceeds of corruption and were used for corporate operations.

While the vehicles are no longer flagged for customs violations, they remain physically held at the SGC compound as part of the ongoing litigation with the BIR.