ICI speeding

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center acting executive director Aboy Paraiso.

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Dizon said forfeiting assets, which is civil in nature and can be filed independently of criminal cases, is a process that should not be too ardous.

"This is faster because what you need to prove is that what you earn is smaller than the money or assets that you hold," he explained.

Dizon is mum on specific actions the technical working group intends to take, or on the number or nature of assets being pursued.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council reported last week that around 2,000 bank accounts totaling P5.2 billion had been frozen.

For its part, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said seven luxury cars owned by contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya are now up for auction.

"They submitted a voluntary forfeiture, meaning to say that they no longer contest the seven vehicles," BOC deputy chief of staff Chris Noel Bendijo said yesterday after the ICI meeting with the technical working group.

The BOC is a member of the TWG.

"These are vehicles with no import entry and no certificate of payment," Bendijo added.

Besides the Rolls-Royce, the other vehicles set to be auctioned off are two Mercedes-Benzes, a Lincoln, a Bentley and two Toyotas.

Bendijo said the Discayas are offering a compromise for the six other luxury cars.

"They submitted a position paper and, as part of that position paper, they are offering a compromise penalty. That's being considered by the legal division already. Probably, the decision will come out in five days," he said.

Should the BOC grant the compromise penalty, the Discayas need to pay a surcharge in addition to a 20-percent fine from the landed cost, according to Bendijo.