BoC, LTO to tighten import rules on luxury vehicles

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Tuesday agreed to form a joint task force aimed at imposing a stricter importation policy on luxury vehicles.

“This mutual cooperation with the LTO reinforces out shared goal of ensuring transparency, efficiency, and strict compliance with customs laws and other government regulations,” BoC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said in a statement on Tuesday.

The memorandum of agreement, signed in the LTO Central office in Quezon City, seeks to safeguard the public by helping deter fraudulent practices and protecting government revenues.

The two agencies will form a joint task force to crack down on unlawfully imported vehicles, including those misclassified or misdeclared in violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

The initiative will also streamline data sharing for key vehicle documents such as certificates of payment, registration, and official receipts.

This comes amid the government’s corruption crackdown, which has led to the seizure of luxury vehicles owned by contractors and Public Works officials who allegedly diverted funds from flood control projects.

At the signing event, the LTO turned over a seized Lamborghini Urus of a Korean national to the Customs.

LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao said the vehicle was imported by the same dealer of some luxury cars, seized from the Discaya family.

Mr. Nepomuceno said the Discayas were given until Oct. 23 to submit documentation papers for the 13 confiscated luxury vehicles, which will be auctioned and expected to generate up to P220 million.

“We are targeting by Nov. 15, provided that Secretary Ralph G. Recto approves this. We will auction the 13 vehicles,” he said, noting that many private bidders are interested.

Meanwhile, 17 vehicles remain in government custody as Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) investigate the source of funds used by the Discaya family to acquire the fleet.

ALMOST P2-BILLION SUNWEST FACILITIES
In a separate briefing, Mr. Lacanilao said three projects located in the LTO compound, worth nearly P2 billion awarded to Sunwest Inc. since 2021, were found to be “underutilized” despite being completed.

This includes the Information Technology (IT) Hub and Road Safety Interactive Center which cost around P500-million each, and the Central Command Center worth P946 million.

“It was supposed to be a dormitory. But it’s not even clear. Then they added some IT stuff that’s kind of questionable,” he said in Filipino when asked about the intended function of the buildings.

Mr. Lacanilao said these findings occurred after an internal review after he assumed office. One of the buildings was stripped out of its IT equipment, while the command center, which answers public concerns, was previously flagged by the Commission of Audit for being underutilized.

“We’re prepared to bring this up to the ICI and the Ombudsman because the President’s directive was really to look into what might be wrong or improperly regulated,” he said.

Former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Elizaldy S. Co, who founded Sunwest is also in the center of the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, which triggered the creation of the ICI and parallel probes by Congress, Ombudsman and tax authorities. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante