September 5, 2025 | Manila, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has placed 28 luxury vehicles tied to contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and her family under its custody as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in multi-billion-peso government flood control projects.
According to the BOC, Sarah Discaya and her husband, Pacifico, voluntarily turned over 16 vehicles on Thursday. These were in addition to the 12 high-end cars earlier secured on Tuesday through a search warrant served at the compound of St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corp. in Pasig City, one of nine firms reportedly controlled by the Discayas.
“The 16 vehicles are now undergoing processing by the BOC for sealing and documentation. They will remain under the guard of customs personnel while records of importation and tax payments are verified,” the agency said in a statement.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno stressed that the cars have not been confiscated. He clarified that ownership will remain with the Discaya family unless investigations confirm that the vehicles were smuggled or imported without proper duties and taxes. “Once verified to be legitimately acquired and with all tax obligations settled, the cars will be returned,” he added.
Among the recently surrendered vehicles are high-end models such as four Mercedes-Benz variants (GLE, GLS 350, Sprinter, and Avant), three Land Rover Range Rovers (Defender, LWB, and Evo-F), a Cadillac Escalade ESV, Ford Bronco, BMW X5 30D, Jaguar F-Pace 2.0D, Porsche Cayenne V6, Volvo XC90, Yukon Denali, and two all-terrain vehicles.
Nepomuceno also warned that customs officers found complicit in any possible smuggling scheme could face disciplinary action. The BOC is coordinating with the Land Transportation Office for further validation of the cars’ registration and import records.
Meanwhile, tensions flared outside St. Gerrard Construction’s Pasig office as protesters expressed outrage over the Discayas’ alleged involvement in corruption. One demonstrator spray-painted “Kurakot!” (“corrupt”) on the glass walls of the building.
The Discaya family is among several contractors under scrutiny for allegedly benefiting from questionable flood control projects flagged by lawmakers.
