Philippine President Orders Destruction Of 76 Luxury Vehicles Worth $5.5 Million

About 76 luxury vehicles and motorcycles worth over $5.5 million (Around Rs. 37.70 crore) were destroyed in the Cagayan province of Philippines under a directive of President Rodrigo Duterte. In fact, the President was present at the site when the luxury vehicles were being bulldozed. While the sight is sure to be gut wrenching for anyone with an inclination towards cars, the directive was a sign of the country's stringent policies against corruption and criminal activities.

The vehicles including the likes of Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Harley-Davidson bikes and more were smuggled into the country and seized by authorities. The crushed luxury cars were all part of the total of 800 vehicles that were illegally imported into the Philippines, a government release said.

Pres. Duterte witnesses the condemnation and public destruction of contraband luxury vehicles and motorbikes at Port Irene in Sta. Ana, Cagayan on July 30, 2018. #TatakNgPagbabago pic.twitter.com/QIDv4Eh2q0

— Presidential Comm (@pcoogov) July 31, 2018

Since his election in 2016, President Duterte has been vocal about his fight against corruption, while justifying his brutal war on drugs, purging of journalists and mass dismissal of government officials. The President has also said that the destruction of smuggled cars was necessary "to show to the world that we [Philippines] have a viable place of investment and business."

This is not the first time confiscated luxury cars were bulldozed in Philippines in full public view. Back in February, the President had ordered a similar exercise for the destruction of 30 luxury vehicles. The rationale behind the destruction has been that selling confiscated cars at auction would allow crime syndicates to bid for them under false identities.