Arroyo sees auction for some smuggled cars in Subic

Agence France-Presse

Even as she talked tough against car smugglers, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Saturday opened the possibility of auctioning off some cars seized at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

"They will not be allowed to redeem other cars that may be auctioned through their paid proxies. Not only will they be barred from future actions, they will be put behind bars," the President said in a statement.

On Thursday, officials and members of the media witnessed the crushing of 18 smuggled vehicles, but the more expensive models that were also illegally shipped in the country such as the Ferrari, Audi, and Lamborghini were not among those destroyed.

Arroyo said the crushing of the cars doesn't mean the end of the legal cases being faced by these smugglers.

"On the contrary, their prosecution will be pursued in earnest," she said.

Arroyo earlier said all smuggled vehicles, including the expensive models, will be destroyed. But finance and customs officials said there are still legal matters that need to be settled before government can have full possession of the cars.

Presidential Anti Smuggling Group head Antonio Villar Jr. said civic groups such as the Gawad Kalinga also appealed to the President to just auction off the cars and use the proceeds to help the poor