Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte oversaw the destruction of more than 60 luxury vehicles as part of his crackdown on smuggling and corruption on July 30. A video released by Radio Television Malacanang or RTVM - the official broadcast documenting team of the President of the Philippines - shows heavy machinery crushing luxury cars and bikes in front of a crowd of spectators, which included the president. The destruction took place at Port Irene in Cagayan.
As per the statement released by RTVM, 68 contraband luxury vehicles and eight contraband luxury motorbikes were publicly wrecked through backhoe and bulldozer. The smuggled cars included Porsches and Lamborghinis, while the motorbikes were from Harley Davidson, Triumph, and Chopper manufacturers.
"All contraband luxury vehicles were legally seized and properly disposed of by CEZA" says the voiceover on the video. CEZA refers to the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, whose CEO was also present at the event.
Watch the video below:
Since being shared on Facebook on July 30, the video has been viewed over 6 lakh times. While some praised Mr Duterte's decision, others have called it a waste of money.
As per the Independent, Mr Duterte ordered the destruction of 30 luxury vehicles in February as well, claiming that selling them at auction would allow criminals to bid under false identities.
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