Rolls Royce owned by ex-London chambermaid sold for ₱29 million (Dh1.8 million) at Manila auction amid flood scam crackdown

Manila: A Rolls-Royce Cullinan previously owned by Sarah and Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya, key suspects in the Philippine flood control scam, was sold for ₱29 million (about $500,000 | Dh1.8 million) at a Bureau of Customs (BOC) auction on February 11, 2026.

The model 2023 luxury vehicle, which gained notoriety for the owner's comment about buying it for the "free umbrella" included, was purchased by the Igorot Stone Kingdom Inc.

Cezarah Rowena "Sarah" Cruz Discaya, a former London chambermaid-turned-contractor-politician became a central figure in a 2025 Philippine Senate probe into alleged corruption in ghost infrastructure projects.

Both Sarah and her husband Curlee Discaya are now detained after they were implicated in a scam flood infrastructure project.

Several other arrests had been made in connection with "ghost" projects.

Referred to as "Ate Sarah," she and her husband, Curlee, gained notoriety after a 2024 vlog revealed their collection of nearly 40 luxury vehicles, prompting scrutiny into their wealth, which they attributed to government construction contracts.

Sarah Discaya, known as the "flood control Queen" is associated with at least nine construction firms, including Alpha & Omega General Contractor and Development Corp, St. Gerrard General Contractor, and St. Timothy Construction Corp.

Government projects

Her firms were identified as major contractors for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), with reports stating they secured billions of pesos worth of projects between 2022 and 2025.

Sarah and Curlee Discaya appeared before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in September 2025 to address allegations of "ghost projects" and potential conflicts of interest due to her companies bidding against each other.

In September 2025, the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) announced the revocation of licenses for nine construction firms linked to the Discayas. 

Here are the details of the original price and the auction:

Discaya Rolls-Royce price & value

Original floor price: The luxury SUV was initially offered with a floor price of ₱45.3 million in November 2025.

Failed auctions: No bids were received for the vehicle during the first attempt in November 2025. A second auction in December 2025 lowered the price to ₱36.2 million, but it remained unsold.

Final sale price: On the third attempt (Feb 11, 2026), the floor price was dropped to approximately ₱29 million, leading to the successful bid of ₱29,026,000.

Winning bidder: The Igorot Stone Kingdom Inc., a Baguio-based theme par. Pio Velasco, founder and CEO of Igorot Stone Kingdom, said on Thursday (February 12, 2026) that he made the winning bid for the 2023 Rolls Royce Cullinan (P29 million | $500,000) during a government auction to "preserve history". Velasco said it's emblematic of the opening of the so-called “floodgates of corruption.”

Purpose of purchase: The owner stated they bought the vehicle to "save it from potential destruction" and to preserve a piece of history, as it was linked to a major national corruption scandal.

Background: The Rolls-Royce was one of several luxury cars seized from the Discayas, who are contractors embroiled in a controversy involving alleged illegal flood control projects.

Other bidders: Other registered bidders included R33 Car Exchange Corp. and TV host Willie Revillame.

Unsold items: During the same auction, two Bugatti Chiron sports cars (with floor prices over ₱149 million ($2.56 million) and ₱160 million ($2.76 million) failed to receive bids.

The Rolls Royce will be placed on public display at the Igorot Stone Kingdom, acting as a tourist attraction.