Sunday, August 12, 2007 Arroyo orders destruction of smuggled luxury cars
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered Friday night the destruction of smuggled luxury vehicles intercepted recently by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force (PASTF).
Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief 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 [Friday night),” Remonde said in an interview on government-run radio station dzRB.
He said the cars to be destroyed include expensive sports cars from Europe such as Lamborghini and Porsche.
Remonde said 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. He did not elaborate. (JMR/Sunnex)
