The Filipino government has a thing for theatrics and one of their favorite pastimes is destroying cars.
That’s happened once again as the country’s Bureau of Customs has destroyed 21 vehicles worth an estimated $1.2 million (£874,665 / €1 million).
Among the victims were a McLaren 620R, a Bentley Flying Spur and a Porsche 911. Other casualties included a Mercedes SLK, a Lotus Elise, a modified Hyundai Genesis coupe and a Toyota Solara. 14 “Mitsubishi Jeeps” were also destroyed in the government’s show of force.
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According to the Bureau of Customs, the vehicles were imported into the Philippines by different consignees and seized on separate occasions from 2018 to 2020. They were seized and destroyed “pursuant to Presidential Directive 2017-447, in which President Rodrigo Roa Duterte reiterated the need to destroy smuggled vehicles to send the strong message that the government is serious in its efforts against smuggling.”
The latest round of destruction was the government’s second “condemnation activity” this year as the Bureau of Customs destroyed 17 vehicles on February 9th. These events are a regular occurrence in the Philippines and we’ve covered them a number of times in the past.
Among the previous victims have been a BMW Z1, a Ferrari 360 Spider and a Lamborghini Gallardo. That’s just scratching the surface as the government has also wrecked a Renault 5 Turbo, Opel Manta, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes SL55 AMG and countless other vehicles.
The reaction to the latest round of destruction has been mixed as many people questioned why the government didn’t auction off the vehicles and use the funds for something meaningful. However, the Bureau of Customs replied to many reiterating the the need to send a strong message to smugglers.
H/T To Road & Track
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