President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday led the public destruction of 68 luxury vehicles and eight high-end motorcycles, all with a combined estimated value of P300 million, at Port Irene in Cagayan province, as he renewed his commitment to fight smuggling.
In his speech during the public condemnation of smuggled vehicles, President Duterte admitted that he could not completely eradicate corruption and smuggling in government but he would want to create an environment where businesses could thrive.
“Kaya ito sinira ko ‘to because you have to show to the world that you have a viable place of investment and business. And the only way to show it is that you are productive and that you have the economy to absorb the productivity of the population,” Duterte said.
The 68 luxury sedans worth P277,961,760 and eight big bikes valued at P19,567,350 are the second batch of expensive vehicles to be destroyed at Port Irene following public destruction of 14 luxury cars last March.
The expensive cars and motorbikes were part of 800 contraband vehicles imported in Cagayan through the port.
The event is part of Cagayan Economic Zone Authority’s compliance to the directive of the President to publicly destroy illegally shipped contrabands in the country’s economic zones aimed at deterring smuggling. (with a PND report)
