Filed under: Government/Legal, Supercars, BMW, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari
Phillipines cracks down on smuggling by crushing exotics
A Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche Cayenne, Carrera, BMW and possibly 15 more high-end auos have been sentenced to death via steam roller by the President of the Phillipines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.The cars had been smuggled into the country through a former US Naval base in Subic, and Pres. Arroyo is determined to make a spectacle of their destruction and discourage other would be smugglers from attempting to avoid import taxes. The event will be even broadcast live across the country, and will no doubt appear on You Tube soon after. We'll let you know when it does.
The Phillipines used to auction cars that were caught being smuggled into the country, but since the smugglers were usually the auction winners and got their cars back, President Arroyo will sacrifice sculpted sheetmetal, carbon fiber and low-profile rubber to make a point to her people.
Thanks for the tip, Paolo!
[Source: INQUIRER.net]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
KnightRider 12:14PM (8/13/2007)
I am planning on starting People for Ethical Treatment of Exotic Cars. Anyone Interested?
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the marais 12:23PM (8/13/2007)
Ridiculous. The Government should confiscate these expensive autos, throw the smugglers in prison, and then auction the cars to fund something in the public's interest. Sort of like how we do it in the USA.
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ello 12:37PM (8/13/2007)
Yeah, public interest like funding the Iraqi war... US government is no saint either... Anyway, what is ridiculous is the amount of tax posed on exotic cars in Philippines, it's something close to 100% of original value of the car which is simply ridiculous, free money for the government just because someone can afford an exotic car. If the taxes would be lower I am more than sure there would be less smuggling and the government would actual be able to generate some revenue out of it.
SoCal Cuda 6:54PM (8/13/2007)
ello,
you're an idiot. No news there.
Everyone else can thank me later.
kramerica5000 12:23PM (8/13/2007)
+1
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BirdmanSTX 12:34PM (8/13/2007)
I lived in the Philippines back in the 80s on what was then the Subic US Naval Base. Lets just say I'm glad I never have to go back... and since those days the Philippine government has made one bad decision after another, no matter who was in power. This is yet another one.
Although I'm surprised those in the government haven't taken these cars for their own transportation...
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MiniMe 12:45PM (8/13/2007)
Crushing an exotic car that could be auctioned off for money that could help the poor is criminally stupid.
$100K would buy a lot of food and medical car for a lot of poor Phillipinos. Even Marcos wasn't this dense.
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Alex 12:47PM (8/13/2007)
the government does need the money though... they need to milk every tax possible.
why's the government so dirt poor?
one corrupt/incompetent leader after another.
of course, some would definitely disagree.
still, it's a shame to the world of autos.
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RoadRunnerSTi 12:49PM (8/13/2007)
What a stupid B*tch!!!!! What a surprise... another uneducated twit comes to power and makes stupid decisions, that even the general public know are wrong... not a surprise it's a women though.
Because the cost of raw materials isn't already to high... (sarcasm)
If auctioning the whole car is an issue... then part the car out to various buyers so the smuggler would be forced to rebuild it if he could even get his hands on all the parts...
Otherwise body shops looking for replacement parts could get these expensive body panels and engine parts.
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Mike 12:59PM (8/13/2007)
They could always ship these vehicles back to their country of sale and auction them off there.
Then the smugglers wouldn't get their cars back (or if they did, they'd have to smuggle them back) and the government gets the money for them.
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biggins 1:02PM (8/13/2007)
no no no, send in Jack Bauer to take out all the retards smashing the exotics, then send in a few container ships to pick them up and bring them back to my house, err, i mean the U.S.
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Paul 3:37PM (8/13/2007)
I wonder how many Enzos will be left after this...
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obby 3:40PM (8/13/2007)
They should at least try to verify that the cars aren't stolen. I'm sure at least some exotics have the vin numbers hidden away in more than the usual crevices.
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G-Money 3:58PM (8/13/2007)
It's "Philippines" -- with one L and two P's. Doesn't anybody spellcheck these things?
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Derek Kreindler 4:14PM (8/13/2007)
The Phillipines has suffered from one disgusting regime after another and Ms. Arroyo is just one of many in the long line. Good thing they have some awesome old school Japanese machinery running around there.
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Alex 4:50PM (8/13/2007)
crap... G-Money is correct!
can't believe i didn't catch that. i should be ashamed.
two Ps, one L.
and yes, i do feel that it's important to note.
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tonks21 10:29PM (8/14/2007)
it's always sad to see great vehicles die such horrible deaths!
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Mark Goddard 10:22PM (8/17/2007)
Yes, it's good for the Philippines govt to set an example. After all, they're so-o-o-o honest and uncorruptable themselves. . . .
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jugah 9:46AM (11/09/2007)
you know that my aunt has a car shop in the p.i n she basicly can remake any car u want for u, but not as powerfull tho and safe lol
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