Philippines' Duterte crushes $5.5m of luxury cars in anti-corruption drive

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has overseen the destruction of $5.5m worth of luxury vehicles and motorcycles as part of his campaign against corruption.

A government video shows Duterte watching on as a bulldozer crushes 76 smuggled cars and motorbikes, including models by Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

The vehicles destroyed were all part of a haul of 800 illegally imported into the Philippines, a government press statement said.

This is not the first time that Duterte has cheered on the destruction of luxury vehicles. In February, he ordered the destruction of 30 luxury cars, saying selling confiscated cars at auction would allow crime syndicates to bid for them under false identities.

Since his election in 2016, President Duterte has cited his fight against corruption to justify his brutal war on drugs, purging of journalists and mass dismissal of government officials. He has previously vowed to step down if he fails to stamp out corruption.

"You know, before a place can really be developed or a viable place to do business, you have to establish first law and order," he said on Monday, according to an official government press release.