NOY'S CARS: FROM LAND CRUISER TO PORSCHE & THE NEW ARMORED LEXUS SUV
MANILA, JANUARY 31, 2011 (STANDARD) PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Friday admitted to driving around in a Lexus, and two weeks after he was forced to admit having acquired a used Porsche sports car.
Mr. Aquino said the Lexus LX570, with plate number PIZ808, was lent to him by a brother-in-law "for its security features."
But he later changed his story and said a campaign supporter had lent him the car. The President declined to name the supporter, saying he did not want reporters to interview him and find out about the car's security features.
Presidential Security Group head Col. Ramon Mateo Dizon said that, "as a rule, all the President's vehicles must be armored."
The presidential car, a black Mercedes-Benz S600 sedan that was passed on to him by the previous administration, had been damaged by tropical storm Ondoy, the President said earlier.
Mr. Aquino had previously used his personal Toyota Land Cruiser for his official engagements, but he stopped doing so because it wasn't armor-plated.
FROM JOURNAL ONLINE
Noy's new luxury ride? by Tess Bedico Friday, 28 January 2011 19:49
HAS President Benigno Aquino III acquired a new luxury car?
A white Lexus was seen parked in front of Malacañang Palace yesterday while the President was addressing heads of state firms during the observance of the Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations Governance Day.
The President used the same car when he visited the victims of the bus bombing incident at St. Luke's Global City Hospital Tuesday night.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said he was not aware if the President had purchased a new car. "We will verify," he said in a text message.
Reports said the Lexus car is bullet-proof and costs about P8.5 million.
Aquino earlier admitted buying a Porsche said to be worth P4.5 million. He said he sold his old car, a BMW, to buy the Porsche and he got a good deal since its mileage is only 10,000 kilometers.
Aquino justified his decision to buy a Porsche, saying driving a sports car is a form of relaxation which also helps him in his decision making.
COMMENTARY FROM BLOG mhaileon Friday, January 14, 2011
President Noynoy Buys a Porsche PNoy recently bought a 2007 model Porsche which made headlines and got several reactions from critics and supporters. Here are the facts of the story:
1. The Porsche is "third-hand" vehicle worth 4.5 million Pesos 2. The model may be a Cayman or a Carrera, basing on the news photos 3. He sold his other vehicle a BMW to buy this Porsche. 4. He used his own funds. 5. He is a bachelor and a car enthusiast.
People are saying that the timing is "off" because of the announced fare hike at MRT and LRT. There are also surveys done saying people are "poorer" today compared to the previous years. Gasoline and diesel prices have increased more than 3 times already since December 2010. Floods and other natural disasters continue to damage lives in the Bicol Region.
For me, I do not see anything wrong with PNoy's Porsche purchase. There will never be a good timing because the Philippines, a third world country will always be a face of poverty. No matter how a good a President or a leader is, 6 years of governance is not enough to turn the tables around. Too much damage was done by the past presidents and we need at least 15-20 years to recover and be compared to developing countries. The proposed MRT and LRT hike should have been implemented months ago to recover government losses. Gasoline and diesel prices will continue to rise as long as the market is controlled by "The Big 3". How come lesser known gasoline stations afford to sell gas 50 centavos to 1 peso cheaper than The Big 3? It is so obvious that Shell, Caltex and Petron can lower their prices but refuse to do so.
Is Php 4.5 million an extravagant purchase? To an ordinary Filipino, yes. To a rich family or individual, no. Picture this: a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser costs around Php 4.5M, a 2010 Nissan Patrol costs Php 2.6M, a 2010 Mitsubishi Pajero costs Php 2.8M, a second hand 2010 Mercedes Benz E Class costs Php 4.5M, a second hand 2010 BMW 5 series costs Php 2.1M and a second hand Porsche 911 GT3 costs Php 6.8M. I see these types of vehicle everyday (except the Porsche GT3) at EDSA and it seems Filipinos can afford to buy these luxury vehicles. Rich Filipinos are outnumbered by poor ones but to them, it is not their fault that they were born rich or they worked hard to be rich.
President Noynoy was born rich. All his siblings are rich even without entering politics. His youngest showbiz sister earns 3-5 million a month just for shows excluding endorsements. People say that he should be sensitive and should avoid extravagant purchases. Can we give the guy a break? It may be his Christmas gift to himself, or a reward after working hard since being elected. Do we not allow ourselves to at least reward ourselves after a year of hard work? How about people buying IPhones, IPads, PS3, Xbox, Flatscreen TVs, DigitalSLR, Laptops, Louis Vuitton bags and Tag Heuer watches? Aren't they extravagant too in a smaller scale? Actually, PNoy's Porsche is just peanuts compared to his counterparts. His predecessor spent a million pesos for a dinner abroad.
Let us try to be open minded once in a while and understand people's ways which are different from ours. We sometimes say we belong to the masses and we sympathize with them but we do not even lift a single finger to help. We just criticize and see the negative side of things. Focus on what are the important issues and try to help. Count our blessings and be happy for other people's blessings.
Posted by lemuel at 10:42 PM
Labels: news, Philippine president, PNoy, Porsche
EARLIER FROM SUBIC TIMES
Presidents car shine during Pnoy visit in Subic Posted by Anthony Bayarong Posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010
Two weeks into his office, President Benigno Aquino 3rd has used the official car assigned to the leader of the country only three times.
The driver of the President's car, Gerry Gezzingan, on Friday said that President Aquino used the official vehicle during his June 30 inauguration and his visits to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City and here in Subic.
Gezzingan added that he likes driving the car because it gives a smooth ride and houses sophisticated gadgets inside.
He said that when he started the vehicle's engine for the first time, he felt amazement but the engine warning light blinked, which usually means something must be checked underneath the hood.
"Dinala pa naming sa casa para ipa-check [We had it checked by mechanics]," Gezzingan added.
The President was in Subic to inaugurate the Philippine National Police (PNP) Values and Leadership School together with Director General Jesus Verzosa of the (PNP) and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.
Aquino was the guest speaker at the event.
People at Subic took the opportunity to be photographed with the No. 1 car.
One of them said that during the Arroyo administration, nobody could get near the President's car for security reasons. But that has changed with Mr. Aquino and a few people who attended his inauguration took pictures of the car.
Gezzingan said that he allows people to take photos of the president's car.
"Ok lang po, sige lang, atin po yan [That's okay. The car is ours]," he would tell people requesting a photo shoot with the vehicle. The car is a bullet-proof version of the Mercedes Benz S600 W221.
The S600 is the flagship model equipped with an engine that has 12 cylinders and two turbochargers that give it a power of at least 600 horsepower.
The typical passenger car has 100 to 200 horsepower, with higher models having 300 horsepower upward.
The heads of state of Germany, Greece and Indonesia, among others, also use versions of the Mercedes Benz W221 as their official cars.
This article was also published in The Manila Times and Sunstar Pampanga.
EARLIER REPORT FROM YAHOO, SOUTHEAST ASIA
Aquino prefers using personal car By Thea Alberto – July 2nd, 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia
President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has refused to use the traditional presidential car and opted to use his own car.
"I find more comfort riding my own vehicle," Aquino told reporters in an ambush interview after the installation of new Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Lt Gen. Ricardo David Jr.
By tradition, the president has a designated car, which bears the plate number 1.
Aquino's predecessor, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo used a black Mercedes Benz S-class.
"I think resources of the state should be used sparingly," Aquino added.
Aquino is using a white SUV (sports utility vehicle), a Toyota Land Cruiser but it also has the plate number 1.
"Malaking pagbabago dahil noong araw dalawa kami sasakyan okay convoy namin. Ngayon medyo humaba convoy," Aquino said when asked about changes he encountered when he became president.
Based on history, Aquino is not the first president to have used his personal car, said Manuel Quezon III, Aquino's inaugural spokesman.
"He's not the first president to use a personal car. [Former president Manuel] Quezon used a personal car in his first two years," Quezon told Yahoo! in a phone interview.
Presidential cars are usually in black too but Aquino wasn't the first to use a white vehicle, said Quezon.
Quezon added that the last president to use a limousine was Ferdinand Marcos.
Since former president Corazon Aquino, most of the presidential cars were sedans.
Meanwhile, Aquino reiterated his no-siren policy.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said they will also maintain Aquino's decision to stop at red lights.
Lacierda said Aquino's safety won't be at risk because members of the Presidential Security Group will surround the car while in a stop light.
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