MANILA, Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday marked the 116th anniversary of Bureau of Customs (BoC) by leading the destruction of 19 smuggled luxury vehicles at their compound in Manila.
Several more luxury cars were also teardown in Davao and Cebu. The BoC ‘bulldozed’’ vehicles worth P 61.6 million, which includes high-end brands such as BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz and several others.
Malacañang: No more auction
Duterte had already made his statement clear weeks ago that he will not tolerate “car enthusiasts who do not pay their duties.” He said, “You want imported cars? Pay import duties first.”
The President added, “Don’t sell it because the situation will remain the same. They’ll still be the only ones who will benefit from it and they’ll be the only ones who’ll wait for the next auctions. It’s legal and it’s cheap because it’s auctioned.”
“Kayo lang ang may alam kung kailan ang auction. Binabastos ninyo ang Pilipino eh. Kaya ganoon. Marami kayong kotse pagkatapos ‘pag auction, bigyan kayo ng papel. Legal na mura pa,” he said.
Malacañang already placed a halt on the practice of putting confiscated luxury cars up for auction. Presidential Spokesperson told the media, “The thing speaks for itself. Hindi na po siya magto-tolerate ng mga auction-auction na nagiging dahilan para makapag-smuggle nga ng mga mamahaling mga sasakyan.”
Modus Operandi: Undervaluing luxury cars
Back in 2015, a ‘modus operandi’ by luxury car smugglers was discovered by the Customs Enforcement Group when a shipment of luxury cars at the Port in Batangas was seized.
In House Resolution 2269, Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo asked for a congressional investigation when they found out that importers undervalue luxury cars and declare them as low-priced models.
Gunigundo said, “We cannot afford to lose millions of taxes due to technical smuggling due to these unscrupulous smugglers and corrupt Customs officials despite the intensified drive against the illegal importation of vehicles.”
You can watch the coverage of the event from Presidential Communication’s Facebook page:
Here are some photos from the Bureau of Customs:
— The Summit Express
Several more luxury cars were also teardown in Davao and Cebu. The BoC ‘bulldozed’’ vehicles worth P 61.6 million, which includes high-end brands such as BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz and several others.
 |
| The BoC ‘bulldozed’’ luxury vehicles worth P61.6 million | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Bureau of Customs |
Malacañang: No more auction
Duterte had already made his statement clear weeks ago that he will not tolerate “car enthusiasts who do not pay their duties.” He said, “You want imported cars? Pay import duties first.”
The President added, “Don’t sell it because the situation will remain the same. They’ll still be the only ones who will benefit from it and they’ll be the only ones who’ll wait for the next auctions. It’s legal and it’s cheap because it’s auctioned.”
“Kayo lang ang may alam kung kailan ang auction. Binabastos ninyo ang Pilipino eh. Kaya ganoon. Marami kayong kotse pagkatapos ‘pag auction, bigyan kayo ng papel. Legal na mura pa,” he said.
Malacañang already placed a halt on the practice of putting confiscated luxury cars up for auction. Presidential Spokesperson told the media, “The thing speaks for itself. Hindi na po siya magto-tolerate ng mga auction-auction na nagiging dahilan para makapag-smuggle nga ng mga mamahaling mga sasakyan.”
 |
| Malacañang puts a stop on the auction of smuggled cars | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Bureau of Customs |
Modus Operandi: Undervaluing luxury cars
Back in 2015, a ‘modus operandi’ by luxury car smugglers was discovered by the Customs Enforcement Group when a shipment of luxury cars at the Port in Batangas was seized.
 |
| Smuggled luxury cars are “undervalued’ and declared as low-priced models | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Bureau of Customs |
In House Resolution 2269, Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo asked for a congressional investigation when they found out that importers undervalue luxury cars and declare them as low-priced models.
Gunigundo said, “We cannot afford to lose millions of taxes due to technical smuggling due to these unscrupulous smugglers and corrupt Customs officials despite the intensified drive against the illegal importation of vehicles.”
You can watch the coverage of the event from Presidential Communication’s Facebook page:
Here are some photos from the Bureau of Customs:
— The Summit Express
