Arroyo orders smuggled luxury cars destroyed

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered on Friday night the destruction of smuggled luxury vehicles intercepted recently by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force (PASTF). Presidential chief of staff Cerge Remonde said Saturday the move aims to send a “strong message" to smugglers that the government is serious against smuggling. “Gusto niya ipa-destroy talaga para message will be strong. Maybe next week when the president visits Clark. That’s what we discussed last night (She wants the cars destroyed so the message against smugglers will be strong. Maybe we’ll push through with it next week when the president visits Clark. That’s what we discussed last night)," Remonde said in an interview on government-run dzRB radio. He said the cars to be destroyed include expensive sports cars from Europe such as Lamborghini and Porsche. But Remonde admitted he does not know how much the cars cost, or how they will be destroyed. “Kung pasunog we’ll affect the environment. Siguro pabagsakan ng container van or whatever, padurugin (If we burn them we’ll affect the environment. Perhaps we’ll crush them by dropping a container van on them or whatever)," he said. Remonde said Arroyo was irked that smuggled vehicles that are intercepted and auctioned off eventually end up in the hands of the smugglers again. On the other hand, he said Arroyo rejected suggestions that the smuggled cars be sold to film outfits that may use them as props. “Nadala na siya riyan (She’s been fooled before)," he said. He did not elaborate. “Pag in-auction mga smuggler din mananalo. Kaya pasisirain, so the smuggler will lose their cars (If we auction off the cars, the smugglers will win the bidding. So we’ll have them destroyed so the smugglers will lose their cars)," he added. - GMANews.TV