Koko bucks destruction of smuggled luxury cars

The government should have auctioned off the more than P61 million worth of smuggled used cars instead of destroying the luxury vehicles, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said yesterday.

The cars, including a Lexus ES300, BMW Alpina, BMW Z4 and Audi A6 Quattro, should have been sold to buyers outside the country so that the proceeds could be used for the benefit of the Filipino people, Pimentel said.

“Unlike cigarettes or drugs, which have no intrinsic value to humans and must be destroyed when confiscated, cars and other manufactured items have economic value,” he added.

Pimentel said the smuggled vehicles should have been sold to car collectors abroad.

“We don’t want the cars to be auctioned here because the people behind the illegal importation could buy them back at cheaper prices. If we sell these items to buyers abroad, then the government could earn money, which could be used to help victims of natural calamities,” he explained.

President Duterte had ordered the Bureau of Customs to destroy smuggled luxury cars as he vowed a crackdown on smugglers and unscrupulous vehicle importers.

Thirty luxury vehicles were crushed by bulldozers at the ports of Manila and Cebu on Tuesday.

Other cars not destroyed

Meanwhile, amid questions on why the McLaren sports car was not among those destroyed, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña explained that the vehicle and 21 others are still under litigation.

Lapeña issued the statement yesterday following inquiries about the McLaren, which Duterte mentioned as among the 30 units to be destroyed during the BOC 116th anniversary last Tuesday.

A brand new McLaren and two brand new 2017 Chevrolet Camaro, both considered supercars, two brand new 2017 Range Rovers, a brand new 2017 Land Rover Evoque and 12 brand new Toyota Land Cruisers are all consigned to Gamma Gray Marketing and undergoing legal proceedings, the BOC said in a statement.

The Manila International Container Port (MICP) Law Division is expected to resolve the dispute, it said.

“Resolving the instant cases necessitates that due process is observed by giving the parties involved the opportunity to present their case,” MICP District Collector Balmyrson Valdez said.

Other supercars – a 2005 Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Murcielago – consigned to Mary Joy Aguanta and Veronica Angeles, respectively, were forfeited in favor of the government. However, the case is under appeal by importers.

One Lamborghini Gallardo and one Rolls Royce consigned to Allan Usman Garcia and Roy Garchitorena, respectively, the BOC was “alerted” in February 2018. The shipments are under examination and verification of import documents.

A warrant of seizure and detention would be issued on the Lamborghini and Rolls Royce if Customs authorities find probable cause.