BOC to auction off, no longer destroy, seized luxury vehicles

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Seized luxury vehicles destroyed during the Bureau of Customs' founding anniversary celebration in February 2021. File photo from BOC.
  • BOC to auction off, no longer destroy, seized luxury vehicles
  • The auction will raise additional funds for government’s continuing pandemic response
  • BOC, Bureau of the Treasury and Land Bank of the Philippines formed an inter-agency auction committee to ensure transparency of the process
  • The inaugural inter-agency auction will be held on December 13 involving five luxury vehicles

Luxury vehicles seized by the Bureau of the Customs (BOC) will now be disposed through public auction as instructed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to raise additional funds for the government’s continuing pandemic response.

This is a departure from the previous process of destroying the vehicles. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he prefers to destroy seized luxury cars to deter smugglers from buying then reselling them in the domestic market.

An Inter-Agency Auction Committee composed of representatives from BOC, Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), and Land Bank of the Philippines was formed via a memorandum of agreement signed on December 1, 2021. The committee will ensure transparency of the process and promote competition through broad dissemination of auction information, BTr said in a statement.

The inaugural Inter-Agency auction will be held at the BTr on December 13, 2021. Five luxury vehicles will be placed on the auction block: a 2008 Ferrari Scuderia 430, 2001 Porsche Boxster, 2001 Mercedes Benz SLK350, 2001 Mercedes Benz SLK55 and 2011 Mercedes Benz E220, all seized in May and June this year and were issued final and executory orders of forfeiture by BOC.

For the first time, the entire auction process will be livestreamed through the official Facebook pages of the three agencies.

“BOC’s partnership with reputable government agencies and the shift to an open process send a strong signal to the public that this Administration is very serious in addressing collusion in the disposal of smuggled goods,” BTr said.

It noted that through the added network of BTr and Landbank, the notice of auction and other key information on the vehicles will be made available to the wider public, enhancing the competitive nature of the process.

Bidders can register with the BOC from December 2-9, 2021. Inspection dates are set on December 9-10, 2021 at PUC Grounds, Gate 3, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila.

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