BI seeks to deport alleged importer of Discayas’ luxury cars

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday that it will initiate a deportation case against the alleged importer of the luxury vehicles previously owned by the contractor couple Sarah and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya. 

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the agency received information from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) that a certain Cao Cheng, 41, was arrested last November 27 in Makati City for several violations such as obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offender, illegal use of alias, false representation, and willful misrepresentation of material information. 

The bureau added that LTO records showed that Cao misrepresented himself as “Martin Zhao.”

“He was found to have fraudulently acquired documentation using a different name, and this is a clear case of misrepresentation,” said Viado in a statement. “No foreign national should use fictitious identities in transactions in the Philippines.” 

Cao is detained by the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group at Camp Crame in Quezon City. But he will be transferred to BI’s facility in Taguig after inquest and medical examination, the bureau said. 

If found guilty, the BI said, Cao will face deportation and blacklisting. 

The public auction for seven of the cars began on November 20. To recall, the bureau said an estimated P100 million in taxes were left unpaid when the Discayas— who are at the center of the flood control corruption scandal— acquired 13 of their 30 luxury vehicles.

The Bureau of Customs said that it was expecting to collect a total of P103,865,125.97 if all seven Discaya-owned vehicles were sold.

But the Customs recently said that it has the option to just destroy the luxury vehicles that remain unsold after the next auction on December 5. — BM, GMA Integrated News