The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dismissed three excise tax complaints involving luxury vehicles filed against government contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya and several others, according to Justice Spokesperson Polo Martinez on Monday.
Martinez said the DOJ panel found that the Discaya couple could not be held liable for unpaid excise taxes because they were not the importers of the vehicles in question, stressing that tax responsibility rests with those who actually imported the units.
“Nakita po ng panel na hindi po importer sila Sarah and Curlee and so they were not liable for non-payment of excise tax. Ang may liability po magbayad ng excise tax would be ‘yung nag import talaga. Kung kanino binili ang mga kotse,” Martinez said.
The dismissed complaints involved several high-end vehicles, including a Land Rover/Range Rover and Cadillac Escalade in one case, a Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz in another, and a Mercedes-Benz in the third.
These cases were part of five tax-related complaints earlier placed under preliminary investigation by the DOJ against the Discaya couple.
Martinez said the remaining two cases are set to be filed before the Court of Tax Appeals.
“They concealed their true income in their ITRs for two taxable years. That’s taxable year 2020 and 2021. Ito pong concealment ginawa nila in their respective capacity as sole proprietors of St. Gerard Construction in the case of Curlee Discaya… and single proprietorship by Sarah Discaya,” Martinez added.
Sarah is currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Jail in connection with an alleged ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental, while Curlee remains under Senate custody.