The Bureau of Customs (BOC) successfully generated a total of P329.934 million in proceeds from public auctions and negotiated sales from January to May 2026.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno reported that a massive portion of the five-month collection came from the recent sale of 13 luxury vehicles that brought in exactly P114,744,884.15 for the national government.
Bureau agents originally confiscated the said vehicles from the Discaya family in January 2026 after the latter violated state customs laws.
Nepomuceno explained that public auctions keep the disposal process honest and prevent items from rotting in government warehouses. The BOC also follows strict rules, including publishing public notices, inspecting goods, and evaluating bids before awarding items. All the collected money goes straight to the Bureau of the Treasury to fund roads, bridges, and public programs.
To maintain absolute transparency, the bureau livestreamed every single public auction and negotiated sale online. The process allowed the public and the media to watch the bidding process in real time. Nepomuceno strongly reassured the public that not a single peso from the sales goes into private pockets.
”Hindi po napupunta sa personal na interes ang proceeds mula sa auction. Ang mga ito ay government funds na dumadaan sa tamang proseso, mula sa opisyal na resibo, recording, deposit, hanggang audit. Kaya mahalagang malaman ng publiko na ang bawat pisong nakukuha mula sa auction ay accounted for at pinamamahalaan ayon sa batas,” Nepomuceno said.