Why Pio Velasco Sees a Recovered Rolls-Royce as a Blessing, Not a Curse
When businessman Pio Velasco joined the bidding for a Rolls-Royce once linked to assets recovered by the government, reactions were immediate. For many, the luxury vehicle symbolized excess and controversy. For Velasco, however, it represented something entirely different: preservation, protest, pride, and public awareness.
“Foremost, to save it from destruction,” Velasco said, explaining his motivation.
Beyond acquisition, he sees the vehicle as a historic artifact. It is, for him, a physical reminder of a chapter in governance that should not be erased but remembered.
Velasco frames the purchase as more than a private transaction. For him, it carries cultural weight.
“It’s also our flex against Igorot discrimination from Imperial Manila,” he said. “A time to shine for the Igorots, to show that we have helped the government recover its stolen funds.”
For decades, Cordillerans have confronted stereotypes and marginalization. Velasco believes that transforming a controversial symbol into a public exhibit in the highlands reclaims narrative power. Instead of remaining a relic of alleged corruption, the Rolls-Royce would become a statement of agency. It would show that communities often underestimated are participating in national recovery.
The vehicle, he shared, is intended to be displayed publicly at Igorot Stone Kingdom 2 in Yagyagan, Tuba, Benguet, and is expected also to boost his business there. There, it will stand not as an emblem of luxury but as what he calls “a shining memento of what had historically transpired.”
“It’s meant to draw attention and boost tourism toward us in Baguio and Benguet and help boost the local economy,” Velasco explained.
In his view, the Rolls-Royce can serve as a conversation piece, a catalyst that brings visitors, sparks dialogue, and generates opportunities for local communities.
But perhaps his strongest point lies in symbolism.
“It is instrumental in opening the nation’s awareness against rampant corruption,” he said, particularly pointing to ghost flood control projects that have drawn public scrutiny in recent years. “Lastly, to serve as a reminder that corruption does not pay.”
While critics may see the vehicle as tainted, Velasco sees transformation.
“If other people hate and see the Rolls-Royce as a curse, a product of corruption, I see it otherwise,” he stated. “This Rolls-Royce and its umbrella are a blessing for the Filipino. It is instrumental in getting the attention and opening the eyes of our nation.”
To him, the purchase was not indulgence but investment, despite its hefty sum.
“For me, this Rolls-Royce is invaluable,” he said, adding that he foresees a time when “history will redeem this Rolls-Royce.”
In the broader national conversation, the debate now extends beyond a single vehicle. It asks whether recovered assets remain permanently burdened by their past or whether they can be repurposed into tools of awareness, accountability, and regional pride.
For Velasco, what once symbolized alleged abuse of power can now stand publicly and visibly as a reminder that recovery is possible, corruption can be exposed, and history eventually has its reckoning. – CCT
