By Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
President Duterte is dead set on sending a message to smugglers after he ordered the destruction of some 70 smuggled luxury cars seized by the Bureau of Customs on Tuesday.
Malacañang has confirmed that Duterte ordered to stop putting confiscated luxury cars up for auction.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, in a press briefing in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, said Duterte will attend on the destruction of the vehicles using a bulldozer but will not stay there for long due to scheduled commitments.
“If I’m not mistaken parang 70 cars but don’t take that as gospel truth,” Roque said. “Sandali lang po si Presidente doon so hindi niya makikita iyong pag-bulldozer ng lahat ng kotse kasi pagkatapos po doon ay pupunta naman siya sa anibersaryo ng NEDA,” he added.
According to Roque, the bulldozing of smuggled luxury cars will now be government policy. “The thing speaks for itself. Hindi na po siya magto-tolerate ng mga auction-auction na nagiging dahilan para makapag-smuggle nga ng mga mamahaling mga sasakyan,” he said.
“Magiging polisiya na ito na talagang ipapa-bulldozer na lang iyong mga smuggled luxury vehicles.”
Duterte has also rejected the use of the smuggled luxury cars as government vehicles. “Nagdesisyon na po si Presidente na iparating sa mga smugglers ang mensahe na tapos na ang kanilang mga maliligayang araw, ibu-bulldozer po iyan,” he said.
