President Benigno Aquino III was being insensitive to the plight of his people when he purchased a P4.5-million Porsche 911 Turbo sports car, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino said Friday.
“The sheer insensitivity of President Aquino is breathtaking. He burdens the people with toll, fare and price hikes. He wants us to be calm about the increases as he delights himself with a luxury sports vehicle," Palatino said in a statement on Friday.
“It would appear as though the President is very much deserving of relaxation while the people have to suffer from the increases. His display of wealth is a troubling reminder of the wide disparity between the rich and poor in the country," Palatino add.
The partylist lawmaker’s criticism came in the wake of rising protests due to recent measures of the Aquino administration increasing tollway fees and train fares. The toll in the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) and the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) increased in early January, while the fares for urban railways MRT and LRT are set to increase in March.
Critics of the bachelor president’s Porsche purchase also recalled that last month, Aquino issued a memorandum prohibiting all agencies from acquiring and using luxury vehicles for their operations, "and to be more prudent in spending government funds, especially in the acquisition of motor vehicles to maximize the utilization of scarce government resources." (See: Palace issues guidelines on vehicle purchase)
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda hastened to clarify, however, that Aquino did not violate the memorandum, as the president used his own funds to buy the Porsche. (See: PNoy buys himself a Porsche)
The Porsche 911, a German-made sports coupe, is one of the most sought-after race cars worldwide. In the Philippines, owning a Porsche is considered a mark of an elite lifestyle. The country’s principal Porsche club, for example, says it has 58 members who own 178 Porsches.
Since he became president, Aquino has not kept secret his long-standing passion for driving fast cars, remarking on several occasions that “driving peacefully on a smooth, empty highway is one of my favorite luxuries."
