Despite buying it as a third hand, President Aquino was still met with much disapproval when he decided to purchase a luxury 2007 Porsche car. It was noted that the bachelor president was very proud of his recent property acquisition but he humbly stated that he is not “flaunting” it. The said disapproval of the critics was due to the fact that the government should face austerity measure amidst the turbulent and unstable economy of the nation. Buying the said car worth 4.5 million pesos seemed to be untimely and inappropriate in such time of adversity. The Porsche is a bit too flashy and extravagant thereby eliciting much distaste among the critics.
Palace spokesperson Edwin Lacierda justified the purchase of the sports car. He explained that the car was bought with the president’s own personal money after ditching his old BMW car. He further stressed that the amount is a depreciated value of the actual selling price thus prompting the president to buy it. In addition, PNoy had immediately sold his old car and used the money to buy his newest much loved Porsche. Lacierda also has high hopes that the car will not be used to sow intrigues or judge the President. He even appealed for respect for the privacy of the President.
When asked about the car, the President proudly stated that it was a good buy because the sports car has a mileage of only 10,000 kilometers. He jokingly added that he might not be able to add more to the mileage because he is often confined with his duty in the Malacanang. The car seemed to have sparked further curiosity as to whether the President would be using it on his dates as a means of impressing the ladies. Some critics spawned an idea that the car could somehow alleviate the luckless love life of the president. A flashy car could indeed work wonders in wooing a lady.
The president quickly dismissed the idea of his car being a show-off toy. He stated that he just wants to use it in order to relax at times. “Kung maaliwalas naman po at nakaka-relax tayo paminsan-minsan, siguro naman po kapaki-pakinabang [Porsche] ‘pag gumagawa tayo ng desisyon (I want to relax sometimes, it could help me with my decisions),” he said.
The president is known for his car affinity among other things. He is also a proficient sharp shooter as he does target shooting as a hobby. He also enjoys playing billiards during his free time. Recently, he has been known to start biking as his newest form of exercise since one of his New Year resolutions is to keep fit. But the smoking, the steaks and the sodas are definitely there to stay.
