Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte orders destruction of $5.5 million worth of luxury vehicles

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday ordered and oversaw the destruction of luxury cars and motorcycles worth $5.5 million.

A CNN video shows a bulldozer crushing 76 illegal cars and motorcycles, as Duterte watches on. The cars include Lamborghinis, Mercedes-Benzes, Ferraris, Porsches and many more imported vehicles.

A government statement said that the vehicles were only a part of a larger haul of 800 that were illegally imported into the Philippines.

Pres. Duterte witnesses the condemnation and public destruction of contraband luxury vehicles and motorbikes at Port Irene in Sta. Ana, Cagayan on July 30, 2018. #TatakNgPagbabagopic.twitter.com/QIDv4Eh2q0

— Presidential Comm (@pcoogov) July 31, 2018

This exhibition was part of Duterte’s ongoing war against corruption and smuggling and it was not the first time that he ordered the destruction of luxury vehicles. In February, he oversaw the destruction of 30 luxury cars and explained that auctioning off the same cars would allow crime syndicates to bid for them under false identities.

He also said that he wanted the Philippines to become an environment where businesses could thrive and where the economy can absorb the population’s productivity. But in order for the country to be viable for business, law and order should be established first.

Since he was elected in 2016, Duterte has waged a brutal war on drugs, journalist purging and government official dismissals. He cites his fight against corruption as a justification for his violent approach and has also vowed to step down if he fails to put an end to corruption.