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The Bureau of Customs issues a warrant of seizure and detention against a surrendered Porsche 918 Spyder currently being investigated for alleged use of unauthorized plate and possible misdeclaration upon importation
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The vehicle was voluntarily surrendered on August 17 by its owner, Filipino actor and model Derek Ramsay, following the Land Transportation Office’s issuance of a show cause order on August 13 as part of its investigation on the vehicle’s reported alleged use with an unauthorized plate
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The vehicle arrived in 2021 and was declared as a Porsche Boxster and paid a duty of P3.26 million instead of P48.02 million for a Porsche 918 Spyder
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is issuing a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) against a surrendered Porsche 918 Spyder currently being investigated for alleged use of unauthorized plate and possible misdeclaration upon importation.
The WSD issued on Monday, August 24, follows an investigation by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on the limited edition luxury vehicle.
The vehicle was voluntarily surrendered on August 17 by its owner, Filipino actor and model Derek Ramsay, following LTO’s issuance of a show cause order on August 13 as part of its investigation on the vehicle’s reported alleged use with an unauthorized plate.
BOC in a statement said Ramsay has already appeared before the LTO to submit his “verified answer” and surrender his driver’s license, which has been placed under a 90-day preventive suspension.
The vehicle – which has been impounded – and the driver’s license were also placed under alarm status pending resolution of the LTO case.
As the investigation progressed, LTO sought the assistance of BOC to check the vehicle’s records that showed discrepancies in the import entries of the vehicle.
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, in a joint press conference with LTO on August 24, said the vehicle entered the country in 2021 from the United Arab Emirates.
The first entry filed in September 2021 declared the vehicle as a brand-new Porsche Boxster, while the Certificate of Payment and initial LTO registration identify it as a Porsche 918 Spyder under the same Customs entry.
Since the declaration was for a Porsche Boxster, which in 2021 had a price range of P8-10 million, the duty paid was only P3.26 million, instead of the supposed P48.02 million for the Porsche 918 Spyder, which in 2021 was priced from P50 million to P100 million.
Nepomuceno said this is misdeclaration, although he noted that with the issuance of WSD, the vehicle will be subject to seizure proceedings, which will allow those involved in its importation to prove that the vehicle was lawfully imported.
“Who knows if our document is faulty, but I don’t believe that because on our part, the import entry is consistent,” Nepomuceno said in Filipino.
He said records show the vehicle’s shipper was Emirates National General Trading, while the consignee was Tobirama Enterprises and the customs broker a certain Richard Singh Colasco.
BOC said it is further investigating the matter for possible violation of Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation, in Goods Declaration) of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
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“Nagpapasalamat kami sa LTO, sa pangunguna ni (We thank the LTO led by) Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao, for their prompt action and close coordination with the Bureau. Their cooperation enabled us to immediately verify the relevant Customs records and take the appropriate next steps,” Nepomuceno said.
“The BOC remains committed to working closely with the LTO to ensure that our laws are properly enforced, government revenue is protected, and due process is observed,” he added.
Nepomuceno clarified that LTO remains the lead agency in the investigation, while BOC continues to provide records verification and appropriate Customs enforcement support. The vehicle remains under LTO custody while the agencies coordinate its formal turnover to the BOC for appropriate Customs proceedings.
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