Grab a box of tissues, because you’re about to witness 14 amazing sports cars—including a BMW Z1, Porsche 911 GT3, Mercedes SL55 AMG, Opel Manta and BMW Alpina B12—get smushed into thin sheets by a bulldozer and a backhoe. It’s not pretty.
The Philippines has some seriously strict rules on used vehicle importation—so strict, that according to the country’s presidential broadcasting organization RTVM, 855 cars that broke those rules will soon be destroyed, including these 14 that were crushed in public via bulldozer on Wednesday:
President Rodrigo Duterte, known for his violent and ruthless crackdown on drugs and crime in general, was present at this car-crushing ceremony, and addressed the audience, saying:
The destruction of these contraband luxury vehicles signifies our strong resolve to restore good governance, preserve our nation’s dignity, and safeguard our people’s welfare.
He went on, saying:
I reiterate that I will never tolerate smuggling and all forms of irregularities in our ports, especially in our free ports. Illegal practices will be dealt with to ensure that every department, agency and instrumentality of government is free from corruption.
God, that guy sucks.
You can watch the rest of the speech below if you’d like, or you could just look at the beginning of the clip, as it shows more cringeworthy footage of the destruction:
The video above makes reference to Executive Order 156, series 2002, which prohibits the importation of used cars. The idea behind that rule, put into place by president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2002, is to “strengthen the local automotive industry and deter smuggling of imported vehicles,” government news channel RTVM says.
Here’s a look at part of that executive order:
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) enforced this rule on Wednesday in Porte Irene in Cagayan province, crushing 14 used cars imported from Japan and Korea. Those vehicles, worth a combined total of over half a million dollars according to RTVM, have remained unclaimed since 2014, and will be joined in the scrapyard by an additional 841 cars.
I hope to god they’re not all on the same level as a Z1 or a rare Alpina. Because these close-up photos of the aftermath are just too much to bear.
Update: Here’s a more recently uploaded video showing the destruction up close: