To raise more money for the government, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) plans to sell over 20 "hot cars" worth a total of P100 million within this year.

Customs Deputy Commissioner Edward Dy Buco said in a press briefing on Tuesday that they already ordered the Manila International Container Port (MICP) to expedite the valuation of the seized smuggled luxury vehicles in its upkeep.

Dy Buco later told the Inquirer that their stocks of confiscated luxury cars were mostly brand new.

Since pricing had been a deterrent to selling hot cars in past auctions—pundits claimed the BOC overpriced these vehicles—Dy Buco said their tack included reducing the floor values by about 10 percent after every auction where units were unsold.

Dy Buco said there were also safeguards in place to ensure that the bidders were not the cars' smugglers, mainly through background checks. The BOC official said the winning bidders in recent auctions were also in the business of car trading.Last month, the BOC raised P20.8 million from the sale of two used hot cars: a 2006 Lamborghini Vin, auctioned at P10.4 million; and a 2008 Ferrari Scuderia 430, at P10.5 million.

Back in April, the BOC generated P6.3 million from selling three luxury vehicles—a Mercedes-Benz G500 sport utility vehicle at P4.8 million; a 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK55, at P775,000; as well as a 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 at P730,000.

Prepandemic, the BOC destroyed hot cars in public to show that the government was serious in its antismuggling drive.

But late last year, the government changed its tack and since December had been auctioning off some of the smuggled luxury vehicles it had seized to raise additional revenues amid the prolonged fight against COVID-19.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero disclosed that the BOC was also looking into the same auction method—online bidding, in cooperation with the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) and the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines—for other smuggled commodities like rice and food items.

Dy Buco said talks were ongoing with the BTr and Landbank to shift other BOC auctions online.

Also, Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla said the BOC and new Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Lilia Guillermo already started talks to exchange taxpayers' data for background checks. —Ben O. de Vera INQ