Police VIPs beat traffic in city sans ‘wang-wang’
Adhering to presidential orders to stop the use of “wang-wang,” Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao Jr., director of Police Regional Office 6, braved the Iloilo City traffic minus blinkers and sirens on his way to Camp Delgado to attend his installation rites on Monday morning.
Pagdilao arrived with the usual convoy of vehicles but without “wang-wang.”
The ceremony’s guest of honor and presiding officer, Deputy Director General Jefferson Soriano, also arrived without the usual siren.
Pagdilao said: “Upon landing at the airport and I was whisked away to my first destination, which is the hotel, wala po akong naririnig na wang-wang (I didn’t hear the sound of a siren.”
He said the driver told him he has not heared vehicles using “wang-wang” while on their way to their destination.
“Maganda pong palatandaan ‘yan na tayo mismo, unang-una sa lahat ay sumusunod sa patakaran (It’s a good sign that we (the police) follow the order first,” he added.
In his speech, Pagdilao also scored the usual practice of using blinkers and sirens for VIPS making their way through the traffic.
He assured the people of Western Visayas that he would work for the simple observance, among others, of the very simple instruction coming from the President.
“This simple instruction has a far-reaching implication. It means that even those in power, even those mandated to use these instruments of power should use this with great responsibility. Dapat po hindi gamiting pang-abuso (It should not be abused),” he said.
He also cited Filipino author Alex Lacson pointing out that, “Traffic rules are the simplest of our laws. If we learn to follow them, it could be the lowest form of national discipline we can develop.”
“It’s a small step but a giant leap towards reaching a national goal: national discipline,” Pagdilao said.
As instructed by Philippine National Police chief, Director General Jesus Verzosa, the PNP will run against unscrupulous users of sirens and blinkers.
But it is the Land Transportation Office which is the primary implementor of Republic Act 4136 and Presidential Decree 96.
PD 96, which has been in force since 1973 during the term of then President Ferdinand Marcos, prohibits the use of “any siren, bell, horn, whistle or other similar gadgets that produce exceptionally loud or startling sound, including dome lights, blinkers and other similar signaling or flashing devices” by vehicles other than that of the military, police, hospital ambulances, fire trucks, the National Bureau of Investigation and the then Land Transportation Commission, predecessor of the LTO.