Philippines President Regrets Wrecking Smuggled Harley Davidson Motorcycle

President of Philippines Duterte authorized the destruction of smuggled vehicles instead of having them placed for auction so that he can send a strong message to owners who do not pay correct import duties.

(Image taken from Rodrigo Duterte for President)

But even he felt regret when he witnessed the wrecking of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle at the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

Revealed to be a motorcycle enthusiast, the President had admitted to being crushed when he saw the Harley being reduced to scrap metal by a bulldozer.

According to their local newspaper Manila Bulletin, the used Harley-Davidson, which was smuggled in Subic Port, was among the 122 smuggled vehicles destroyed by a bulldozer in a ceremony at the customs office in Manila.

“When the bulldozer’s teeth fell on the Harley, I felt like being hit on my back too. Ouch,” the President had said in Tagalog during the BoC ceremony.

He then continued: “I regret it.”

This drew laughter from the crowd, as Duterte then admitted that he is a fan of the two-wheelers and even owned a Harley at some point.

“My Harley, well I bought it when I was mayor, that would be something like 1987,” he reminisced, stating that he is “really fond of motorbikes.”

President Duterte also had to witness the heartbreaking destruction of what is reported to be 112 new Vespa scooters, one used BMW motorcycle and two Triumph motorcycles, among other vehicles. All in all, the vehicles had an estimated value of P34.7 million. That’s almost 9 million SGD!

No wonder he regretted it, because to see all these motorbikes - some even brand new - being crushed into smithereens… it is bound to also break your heart into a tiny million pieces.

Even so, Duterte was unwavering in his decision, later complimenting the customs personnel for their hard work and urged them to continue their good performance.

After all, destruction of the vehicles were vital in preventing the consignee/owners of the vehicles from getting them back through a usually rigged auction or bidding, as said by Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena. This will also serve as a good warning to the smugglers to pay the correct duties and taxes of their importations.

“This is also to stop the fixing schemes of the smugglers conniving with some Customs employees during the auction process,” Lapena added.