I got a crush on you

The Philippine government is using interesting tactics to combat people who smuggle cars into the country.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES: Gleaming luxury cars were reduced to crushed glass, twisted metal and tattered leather Thursday (August 16th) as Philippine officials oversaw the destruction of 18 vehicles smuggled into a former U.S. naval base that is now a tax-free port.

A Lincoln Navigator, three BMW X5s, a Chevrolet Camper and a Mitsubishi GTO sports car were among the vehicles worth a total of 30 million pesos (US$652,000) crushed by backhoes at the Subic Bay Freeport as Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and customs officials watched.

The Navigator is certainly expensive but not a luxury car. The Philippine people who are used to riding in this vehicle would have a considerably different outlook. Note- I actually wanted to put up a picture of what my wife calls a putput but instead opted for a Jeepny. Unfortunately I couldn't find a putput photo via Google. Think a similar to the one at this website.

It's nice to know my old stomping home Subic Bay is being used for something. I was stationed at the US Naval Base there from 1987-89.

The cars were destroyed on orders from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo "to send a message and also because it's common knowledge that if we auction them, the smugglers also win so it defeats the purpose," said Arroyo's aide, Cerge Remonde.

How does the auction benefit the smuggler? The car gets sold, and not necessarily to the person who it was intended for. Even if it did, the person would be paying twice for it.

If a minimum bid was set for any auction, I'd think the Philippine government would come out ahead on the sale. If someone knows otherwise, feel free to comment.(Just don't call me anything worse than a Knucklehead. Ok?)

The government hopes the example will serve as a deterrent to smugglers, Teves said.

"It's morally justifiable because (smuggling is) harming the state, it's harming our industry, it doesn't generate potential employment for our people," he said.

He appealed to everyone to "pay your taxes to help the country because we need the revenues to provide our people services and infrastructure."

That's Philippine government speak for- Politicians want to steal even more money. Come on President Arroyo, do you honestly pay taxes on every peso you earn? TFM doesn't expect an answer. Philippine politicians are notorious hypocrites when they talk about others not paying taxes.

Fourteen other cars _ including a Porsche, a Lamborghini and a Ferrari _ that were supposed to be destroyed Thursday (August 16th) were not crushed because of some legal hurdles, but will be wrecked at a later date, he added.

Now those are luxury cars.

Linked to- High Desert Wanderer, Mad Pigeon, Webloggin,