MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Customs personnel went on a daylong hunt yesterday for 10 of 12 imported luxurious automobiles owned by contractor couple Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya, after failing to search out the automobiles within the household compound in Pasig.
Armed with a court-issued search warrant masking the compound at F. Manalo nook J. Pueblo Road in Barangay Bambang, the Bureau of Customs crew led by BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno had supposed to impound the imported autos for potential violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Solely two, nonetheless, had been discovered yesterday morning by the BOC Intelligence and Enforcement Brokers: a 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and a 2022 Maserati Levante Modena.
A 3rd automobile, a Cadillac Escalade ESV 2021, was reportedly discovered, but it surely was not included within the search warrant issued by Manila Regional Trial Court docket Government Decide Carolina Icasiano-Sison.
At previous 9 p.m., the BOC introduced that each one 12 automobiles had been positioned. 9 had been formally sealed by the BOC within the compound, which can also be the primary workplace of the Discayas’ St. Gerrard Development, Common Contractor and Improvement Corp.
The compound is being secured by the BOC and Philippine Coast Guard personnel.
Aside from the primary three autos discovered within the Discaya compound, the BOC took custody of a 2023 Rolls Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Mercedes Benz G-Class (Brabus G-Wagon), 2022 Mercedes Benz AMG sport utility automobile (SUV), 2022 Toyota Tundra and Toyota Sequoia.
Three others are in a service heart and can be turned over to the BOC: a 2019 Mercedes Benz G 500 SUV, 2022 GMC Yukon Denali SUV and 2024 Lincoln Navigator L.
In a radio interview, BOC chief of workers Jek Casipit stated they tried to challenge the search warrant twice on Monday night time, however was not allowed to enter the property.
“Based mostly on our information, there have been 12 that we didn’t pull out information from the (BOC), so we had been banking on these knowledge. We can’t verify on different knowledge that we shouldn’t have a foundation for,” he stated.
Sison gave the BOC 10 days to go looking the premises and gave directions that barangay officers needs to be current in the course of the search.
The 12 automobiles talked about within the search warrant had been a purple Toyota Tundra 2022, an orange Toyota Sequoia, a black Rolls Royce Cullinan 2023, a matte black Mercedes AMG G 63 AMG SUV 2022, a white Mercedez Benz G 500 SUV 2019, an altitude black mica Toyota LC300 3.3 V6ZX AT SUV 2024, a black Lincoln Navigator L SUV 2021, a blue Bentley Bentayga, a black Cadillac Escalade ESV/2021, a white GMC Yukon Denali SUV 2022 GAS, a white Lincoln Navigator L 2024 and a grigio maratea Maserati Levante Modena 2022.
Throughout a Senate committee listening to on Monday, Sarah Discaya confirmed that they owned a complete of 40 luxurious automobiles, clarifying that 28 of them had been for private use and the remaining had been service autos.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno stated the company is set to find the lacking autos and gather any unpaid duties and taxes.
“Let it’s clear that these hiding or abetting the concealment of those automobiles can be punished to the fullest extent of the legislation. The Bureau is dedicated to decisive motion to guard authorities revenues and implement accountability,” he stated.
Citing President Marcos’ directive to curb smuggling and shield authorities revenues, Nepomuceno assured the general public that the BOC would proceed to implement customs legal guidelines with equity, transparency and due course of.
As for the opposite luxurious automobiles that weren’t discovered within the institution, Nepomuceno stated they’ve already coordinated with the Philippine Nationwide Police-Freeway Patrol Group and positioned the autos on alert, to be flagged if seen on the street.
Vico flags dummies, contradictions
In the meantime, Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto forged doubt on the credibility of Sarah Discaya’s testimony earlier than the Senate and referred to as on the federal government to “act shortly earlier than they get away,” amid allegations of irregularities in flood management tasks.
In a Fb publish yesterday, Sotto shared his observations on the Sept. 1 Senate Blue Ribbon committee listening to, the place the Discaya group was questioned on its hyperlinks to a number of development corporations.
Throughout the listening to, Sarah initially claimed she had divested from eight of 9 corporations allegedly related to her, however later admitted to nonetheless proudly owning the corporations after being pressed by senators.
“She contradicted herself inside minutes,” Sotto stated, pointing to her shifting responses to questions of Senators Erwin Tulfo and Jinggoy Estrada.
Sotto additionally highlighted inconsistencies within the possession constructions of corporations underneath the Discaya group.
He cited testimony from Ma. Roma Discaya Rimando, niece of Curlee Discaya, who turned the bulk shareholder of St. Timothy Development regardless of beforehand incomes solely P30,000 to P40,000 a month as an worker.
“How may somebody with that wage immediately afford P888 million in paid-up capital?” Sotto wrote, noting that Rimando admitted to borrowing P7 million from her uncle however failed to elucidate how the capital grew almost 100 occasions.
The mayor additionally flagged different corporations allegedly linked to the household, together with Elite Common Contractor, Amethyst Horizon Builders, Waymaker OPC and St. Matthew Builders, which he stated had been registered underneath kin and workers of the Discaya group.
“It’s clear they’re utilizing dummies,” he stated.
Sooto urged future hearings to handle studies that some contractors allegedly advance as much as 40 % of undertaking prices to lawmakers and that “customary working procedures” or kickbacks exist in Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) tasks.
He added that the following Senate listening to “ought to summon not solely Sarah Discaya but additionally her husband, Curlee ‘Nice Pacific’ Discaya,” whom he referred to as the “DPWH Mission Mistermind.”
Discaya could also be cited in contempt for mendacity
In an ambush interview yesterday, Senate President Professional Tempore Jinggoy Estrada stated he’ll see subsequent listening to if Sarah Discaya can be cited in contempt and detained within the Senate for mendacity.
“She lied, positively. She could be very a lot a liar,” Estrada stated.
Throughout plenary yesterday, Estrada manifested on the ground that there are at the least 80 autos owned by the Discayas for his or her private and their corporations’ use.
“That is outrageous wealth. I’m already astounded when Sarah stated they’ve 28 luxurious automobiles, but it surely turned out it wasn’t even half of what they’ve,” Estrada stated.
He slammed the Discayas for hiding away their autos earlier than the BOC raided their Pasig property.
Whereas Discaya claimed they solely have 28 luxurious autos, Estrada cited Land Transportation Workplace (LTO) information that they really personal 40.
Sixty-three of their autos – each mainstream and luxurious – are registered with the LTO, in accordance with Estrada, and features a Rolls Royce Culinan, Bentley Bentayga, two GMC Yukon Denali, Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes Benz Wagon G63 and Vary Rover Evoque.
A Vary Rover Defender, Cadillac Escalade and Mercedez Benz Maybach, in addition to eight extra luxurious autos, weren’t registered with the LTO, Estrada stated.
The Discayas additionally personal six extra autos, resembling Volvo XC-90, Mercedes Benz GLS and a Maserati, he added.
Tax evasion?
In the meantime, Sen. Erwin Tulfo yesterday questioned the BOC and the Bureau of Inside Income (BIR) over potential unpaid taxes from the Discayas’ luxurious autos.
“Kind of, we needs to be getting over P100 million due to the variety of autos, is that appropriate?” Tulfo pressed.
“Right, Mr. Chair,” Customs Deputy Commissioner Ariel Fermin replied.
Tulfo identified that imported luxurious autos can carry an nearly one hundred pc tax burden.
“For instance, if the automobile prices P22 million, the tax needs to be one hundred pc, so P22 million as effectively. If the worth of the automobile is P5 million, just like the Vary Rover, the tax must also be P5 million,” the senator stated.
Fermin confirmed this evaluation, noting that taxes can equal the declared worth of the unit.
Tulfo additionally directed his inquiries to the BIR, asking whether or not contractors linked to P1.3 trillion value of flood management tasks had been being monitored for tax compliance.
BIR Deputy Commissioner Marissa Cabreros replied that the company has already began trying into the studies.
Tulfo pressed additional on the whereabouts of the lacking automobiles, noting studies that the Discayas’ compound beforehand had as many as 28 autos.
Fermin admitted that the autos had been now not bodily current.
“We assume these had been moved out however the BOC is already in coordination with the (Discaya) household in order that they may current, which they concur to current all of the paperwork,” he stated.
Modification legal guidelines on contractor vetting
Citing rampant and materials misrepresentation in public works, Senate Minority Chief Vicente Sotto III is looking on Congress to amend the legal guidelines governing the businesses that license and accredit contractors to curb anomalies in authorities tasks.
Sotto issued the assertion after revelations surfaced about questionable possession constructions of development corporations linked to the Discayas as detailed in Court docket of Tax Appeals (CTA) Case No. 10472. The case includes St. Timothy Development Company in opposition to the Bureau of Inside Income.
Information confirmed that these companies had been owned, operated and represented by the Discayas, their niece Ma. Roma and worker Darryl Mark Pesigal.
The Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) confirmed throughout Monday’s probe into ghost flood management tasks that such preparations represent materials misrepresentation in company possession and registration.
Sotto warned that accountability is troublesome to implement as a result of the corporations use a number of addresses.
“The place can we find them if they’re utilizing totally different addresses?” he requested.
The senator additionally flagged a recurring scheme the place contractors merely type new companies or sole proprietorships at any time when their licenses are denied, permitting them to skirt regulatory safeguards.
PCAB appearing eExecutive director Herbert Matienzo affirmed that such practices could certainly fall underneath materials misrepresentation.
Sotto urged stronger powers, tighter coordination and clearer enforcement measures throughout the DPWH and the Division of Commerce and Business to cease the abuse.
Expressing help for the Blue Ribbon committee’s inquiry, he added: “We hope that this exactly would be the results of your committee – the laws that we have to do with PCAB, we have to overhaul PCAB.”
Aside from PCAB, Sotto additionally desires the legal guidelines governing the Development Business Authority of the Philippines to be amended. — Mark Ernest Villeza, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Neil Jayson Servallos
