Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, best known in recent years for his horrific war on drugs, is now advancing a war on smuggling by destroying dozens of luxury vehicles seized by the country’s customs officers.
Among a fleet destroyed at Port Irene in recent days were 68 cars and eight motorbikes, including vehicles by Porsche, Lamborghini and Mercedes Benz worth an estimated $7.3 million, as the firebrand leader “renewed his commitment to fight smuggling,” a release said.
Duterte, whose crackdown on alleged drug dealers includes their frequent summary execution by death squads, says the vehicles had to be destroyed as they were set to be sold illegally.
He and his team wore hard hats and cheered as the fleet crumbled beneath bulldozers.
Duterte said in a release that he wanted a create an environment where business could thrive — something that could only be done by destroying vehicles gained illegally, even if corruption itself was not yet fully eradicated.
“(Y)ou have to show to the world that you have a viable place of investment and business,” he said. “And the only way to show it is that you are productive and that you have the economy to absorb the productivity of the population.”
“You know, before a place can really be developed or a viable place to do business, you have to establish first law and order. You allow government to work in this area, establish economic centers, make it productive, make it safe, make the buildings, the structures fire-free. No attack, no killing,” he added.
