BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Actually the owner of Igorot Stone Kingdom just wanted the umbrella. 

The 2023 Rolls-Royce Cullinan, formerly owned by contractors Pacifico and Sarah Discaya, was purchased for ₱29 million during the Bureau of Customs’ third public auction, on Wednesday, February 11, after two earlier attempts failed to attract buyers. 

Guess who finally bought it? The winning bidder was Igorot Stone Kingdom Inc., the company behind the popular six-hectare cultural theme park in Baguio City composed mostly of stone rip-rap walls.

It was a steep comedown from the car’s first auction in November 2025, when customs officials set a floor price of ₱45.3 million and received no bids. A second auction in December, with the price lowered to ₱36.2 million, met the same fate. Only after the Cullinan’s valuation was cut further did a buyer step forward.

The buyer of the Cullinan, Igorot Stone Kingdom Inc., is closely associated with the Igorot Stone Kingdom Charity Foundation, a nonprofit established by Engineer Pio Velasco, the founder of the Stone Kingdom cultural park in Baguio. 

The Rolls Royce came into the public imagination when Ms. Discaya, in a television interview that went viral, remarked that she had bought the Rolls-Royce largely for its “free umbrella,” a bespoke accessory concealed in the door.

Customs authorities seized the Cullinan and dozens of other luxury vehicles after alleging tax evasion and illegal importation connected to flood-control projects that were later questioned by lawmakers. While legal proceedings continue, the auctions have proceeded under existing customs rules governing forfeited goods.

The Cullinan was not the only Discaya vehicle to be sold but it was the centerpiece. A Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG (2022) was sold for ₱15.6 million, a Mercedes-Benz G500 Brabus (2019) for ₱15.5 million, and a Lincoln Navigator L (2021) for ₱7.1 million. Two other vehicles (a Toyota Sequoia (2023) and a Toyota Tundra (2022)) were sold together for ₱9.5 million in December.

In total, customs officials confirmed that 28 luxury vehicles were seized from the Discayas, even as earlier media accounts and interviews suggested a collection that may have reached 40. The confirmed fleet included Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac and Range Rover models — a rolling inventory of global luxury brands rarely seen amassed by a single private owner in the country.

With the sale, Stone Kingdom has brought itself into public scrutiny. The foundation allocates about 5 percent of the park’s revenues to assist indigent and disadvantaged residents of the Cordillera.

The foundation also has had its own brushes with controversy, including temporary closures in 2022 over safety and permitting issues before reopening the following year. – Rappler.com