(Eagle News) — Senate President Koko Pimentel on Thursday suggested that smuggled luxury cars be auctioned off to “serious car collectors” abroad rather than be destroyed.
In a statement, Pimentel said that unlike cigarettes and drugs, “cars and other manufactured items have economic value, and luxury cars particularly have great value to serious car collectors.”
“In the manufacture of these luxury cars, a lot of energy has been expended, which I am sure has contributed to over-all global warming,” he said.
As such, he said the cars could be sold at public auction “open only to serious car collectors based abroad.”
He said the proceeds could be used to help calamity victims.
“But if we sell them to buyers abroad, then we would have achieved the same objective and earned money for the government for use in worthwhile causes like helping victims of natural calamities,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Bureau of Customs led the destruction of P61.6 million worth of smuggled luxury cars.
President Rodrigo Duterte witnessed the event.
