President Marcos has issued an order prohibiting government officials and employees from using vehicle sirens and blinkers indiscriminately or just to force their way through heavy traffic, along with reducing the list of government VIPs who are entitled to special license plates.
Restricting the use of sirens, or “wangwang” in the vernacular, harks back to one of the first policy statements of the late former President Benigno Aquino III, who presented the unwarranted use of sirens as a symbol of government abuse or entitlement that his presidency intended to curb.
However, according to President Marcos Jr.’s Administrative Order No. 18, his restriction has roots from the administration of his late father and namesake, referring to Presidential Decree No. 96 issued in 1973 by then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., which “prohibited the use or attachment of any siren, bell, horn, whistle, dome lights, blinkers, and other signaling or flashing devices on vehicles, except for official vehicles of the military, police, hospital, ambulances, etc.”
In AO18, President Marcos Jr. said “it has been observed that the unauthorized and indiscriminate use of sirens, blinkers, and other signaling or flashing devices has been rampant, causing traffic disruptions and unsafe road and traffic environment.”
“All government officials and personnel” are now prohibited from using such devices, with the exception of official vehicles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police, fire trucks, hospital ambulances, and other emergency vehicles.
In another order, Marcos Jr. also trimmed the list of government positions that could have protocol license plates, citing the abuse of such perks. Under EO56, the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, and Chief Justice may be allowed up to 3 pairs of such plates, while other authorized officials may have 2. The plates are valid only during their incumbency and must be surrendered to the Land Transportation Office upon retirement, resignation, separation from office, or end of term or tour of duty. The assignment or transfer of protocol license plates to unauthorized persons or vehicles was also prohibited.
Whether the impetus for a renewed crackdown on the proverbial wangwang is to reduce traffic disruptions and create a safer road environment, or to assure Filipinos that their public servants do know their proper roles in a just society, what is important for most of us is that with this new order, we will hopefully see a drastic reduction in the abuse of power, at least on our roads. That is a good starting point that is hopefully followed up by other initiatives that result in better governance and quality public service that we have been hoping for.*
