The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized 13 luxury vehicles connected to the Discaya family, who are at the center of a Senate investigation into allegedly corrupt infrastructure projects.
The luxury vehicles, which include a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes-Benz and others were taken after the BOC found evidence they were illegally brought into the country, BOC said on October 1.
Officials confirmed the vehicles either had no import records or used fake documents to avoid paying the correct taxes.
According to the BOC, seven of the vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a Bentley Bentayga, had no record of ever being legally imported.
The other six, which include a Lincoln Navigator and a Cadillac Escalade, had import documents but with fake tax payment certificates.
These 13 vehicles were among 30 originally found during a September raid on a construction company owned by contractors Pacifico and Cezarah Discaya.
After the seizure, the BOC will initiate legal forfeiture proceedings to impound the vehicles permanently.
The agency reiterated its commitment to ensuring everyone follows the law and that the government collects all taxes required by law.
“Our job at the BOC never stops with just seizures. We want the public to know that we are serious about the responsibilities entrusted to us, not only in our routine operations but also in pursuing actions that will help resolve longstanding anomalies which continue to burden our people,” BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said. — iNewsPH.com
