MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Wednesday, April 29, secured 19 vehicles from the Pasig City residence of detained flood control contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya in connection with the couple’s tax cases.

Of the 19, 17 are luxury cars while 2 others are Linhai T-Boss 550cc ultra-terrain vehicles (UTVs) that cost P695,000 each.

At least 15 cars in the garage registered to the couple were placed under constructive distraint.

Constructive distraint is a lawful administrative remedy that allows the BIR to secure and preserve assets while tax-related matters remain under investigation.

Meanwhile, four vehicles were placed under constructive seizure as part of an existing tax assessment involving St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor & Development Corporation, which is currently under collection proceedings.

DISCAYA CARS. The Bureau of Internal Revenue secures 19 luxury vehicles from the residence of flood control contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya in connection with the couple’s tax cases, on April 29, 2026. Photo by BIR DISCAYA CARS. The Bureau of Internal Revenue secures 19 luxury vehicles from the residence of flood control contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya in connection with the couple’s tax cases, on April 29, 2026. Photo by BIR DISCAYA CARS. The Bureau of Internal Revenue secures 19 luxury vehicles from the residence of flood control contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya in connection with the couple’s tax cases, on April 29, 2026. Photo by BIR DISCAYA CARS. The Bureau of Internal Revenue secures two Linhai T-Boss 550cc ultra-terrain vehicles that cost P695,000 each from the residence of flood control contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya in connection with the couple’s tax cases, on April 29, 2026. Photo by BIR

Last October 8, 2025, BIR filed tax evasion complaints against the couple for over P7.18 billion in tax liabilities. BIR demanded payment from St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor & Development Corporation for a final deficiency tax liability of over P998 million.

“We are here to preserve assets and protect the government’s ability to collect taxes, while fully observing due process,” BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said. “These are administrative in nature and form part of ongoing tax investigation and collection proceedings.”

Sarah is currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Jail in Cebu to face a malversation case over a P96.5-million “ghost” project in Davao Occidental.

Meanwhile, Curlee is still detained in the Senate after being cited in contempt during the Senate blue ribbon committee investigation on flood control project corruption last September 18, 2025.

During the congressional hearings, the couple admitted to bribing lawmakers and government officials to secure infrastructure projects. The Discaya couple is behind multiple construction firms, which bagged multi-billion infrastructure projects. – Rappler.com