‘In other words, the implementation of the rules on sirens and blinkers is very fluid and leaves much to the discretion of the authorities.’
TO stem the Filipinos’ passion for entitlement and machismo on the road, the late former President Benigno Aquino III emphatically declared in his inaugural speech in 2010: “walang wang-wang.”
He was referring to the unbridled use of “wang-wang” or sirens and blinkers by unauthorized users, officials and civilians who wanted greater use of space on the road to speed up their mobility. Aquino cut the claim of entitlement by many, and for a while was successful in this gesture of giving all Filipinos the equality they deserve. But it was just for a short period of time. It was business as usual on the road after a couple of months.
Under the new Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. administration, Filipinos are hoping that sanity will return in the streets, instead of the present chaos.
It also helped that Brig. Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, director of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) has clarified who are those motorists exempted by law from the prohibition of using sirens and blinkers. He said that even the law enforcement units of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are not allowed to use the emergency devices.
Marbil said only ambulances, fire trucks and police-marked vehicles are authorized to use sirens and blinkers, according to the Republic Act 4136, the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
Another source said exemptions are given to the Presidential Security Group which is in charge of the president’s security, the Police Security and Protection Group, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the National Bureau of Investigation.
The source said there are instances where they allow the MMDA to use blinkers and sirens during emergencies, disaster response, and other operations such as clearing of roads.
In other words, the implementation of the rules on sirens and blinkers is very fluid and leaves much to the discretion of the authorities. This almost ensures that the old Pnoy admonition “Walang wang-wang” will again be remembered in the breach rather than in the observance.
