Bureau of Customs to Investigate Discayas’ Fleet of 40 Luxury Cars

An episode of a Julius Babao YouTube program uploaded in September 2024 showed, within the first 10 minutes, the Discaya couple walking viewers through their garage—a “garage” that houses a sprawling collection of around 40 luxury cars, from Bentleys to Rolls-Royces. 

They don't actually get to use all of them, as Sarah admits to interviewer Babao. According to her, having this many cars is simply “a part of the resume,” a tool to show clients that "they have the capacity to execute a project.” 

With the feature resurfacing, BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno confirmed they will investigate whether the Discayas’ fleet was properly declared, taxed, and imported in compliance with customs laws. He noted that since the vehicles were publicly flaunted, the bureau has no choice but to act—though entering private property for inspection (e.g. the Discaya garage) would require a court-issued Letter of Authority. 

In the meantime, BOC Spokesperson Vincent said they will already start looking into the case using "identifying marks" in the video like license plates and vehicle models.

"It's one of the first that we have encountered this many cars being flaunted or claimed to be owned by one family, so yes, it's a red flag insofar as the sources of these and the manner by which they are imported," Maronilla told ANC. "If there is wrongful declaration or deficiency in the payment of taxes, then we will conduct an investigation on fraud."

The BOC will also be coordinating with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to cross-check each vehicle's registration and record.

Why all the fuss about this luxury car collection? The probe comes at a time when the Discayas are in the spotlight for another reason: two of their companies are linked to flood control projects now under Senate investigation for alleged anomalies. 

Also read: Why Can't Emman Atienza & Friends Spend Their Money As They Want?

The Discayas are linked to a number of construction firms, including Alpha and Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corporation, St. Timothy Construction, and St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corporation. Some of these firms have contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), particularly for flood control in areas like Bulacan and Metro Manila. 

But now lawmakers are probing some P100 billion worth of contracts tagged as "ghost projects" and flagged with issues of overpricing and monopolized bidding. This is after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. revealed during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July that 20% of the budget allocated for flood control projects in the past three years has been awarded only to 15 contractors. 

This is where the Discayas come in. Alpha and Omega ranked second, while St. Timothy Construction Corp. ranked third in this list of 15. The Discayas were among those summoned to a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on flood control project anomalies on August 20, but they failed to show up. 

Far from just contractors, the Discayas have built a public profile of their own, most notably when Sarah ran for mayor of Pasig City in 2025 (she lost to Vico Sotto). Recent media appearances of the couple—including Babao’s program and a Rated Korina feature—painted a “rags-to-riches” story, but these have drawn flak for their glossy portrayal of the couple given the allegations surrounding them. It was in this same Babao interview when they were asked: "Ano ‘yung parang naging gateway para gumanda ang buhay ninyo?” To which Sarah replied plainly: “Noong nag-DPWH kami.” 

Also read: Korina Sanchez’ Camp Fires Back at Mayor Vico's Remark on Discaya Couple Features