Senator JV Ejercito hits the unlawful use of sirens or “wang-wang” and convoy escorts aboard luxury vehicles. (INQUIRER.net stock photo)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator JV Ejercito castigated on Thursday the unlawful use of sirens or “wang-wang” and convoy escorts aboard luxury vehicles along a highway in the capital region.
Posting a video of the incident on social media site Twitter, Ejercito said that “wang-wang” and use of escorts should stop.
“Tell (me) if this is not abuse. BMW GS1250 as escort, Rolls Royce Culinan, and a Mercedes G63 for a back up! Itigil na ito (Stop this)!” he decried on Twitter.
Tell if this is not abuse.
BMW GS1250 as escort, Rolls Royce Culinan, and a Mercedes G63 for a back up!
Itigil na ito! pic.twitter.com/5k4HpWBZzl
— JV Ejercito (@jvejercito) July 7, 2022
“Marami akong nakikita na mga negosyante, mga private citizens, na may mga escort. Doon ako nagngingitngit. Lahat naman tayo pantay-pantay. What gives them the privilege?” he said in an interview.
(I see many businesspersons, private citizens, with escorts. That angers me. We are all equal. What gives them the privilege?)
The senator added that traffic congestion cannot justify “wang-wang” and use of escorts on roads.
He advised motorists to manage their time to arrive at their destinations on time.
“Lahat naman tayo nagmamadali. Ako rin ay nagmamadali minsan. Pero time management lang ‘yan. You have to live with it. Kinakailangan lang na tansyahin mo ang oras mo. What gives you the privilege na kinakailangan may pambully ka sa kalye para mauna ka, na nagwawang-wang ka? Sa akin, hindi acceptable ‘yan,” he said.
(All of us experienced being in a hurry. I’m also in a hurry sometimes. But that is just time management. You have to live with it. You just have to estimate your time. What gives you the privilege to bully on the road, using wang-wang, just to go first? For me, that is not acceptable.)
Calling out road violators is the job of police, traffic enforcers, and the Land Transportation Office, Ejercito pointed out.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that the PNP should not be afraid and go after the violators.
“The Wang Wang days are back! The PNP should crackdown on this. Huwag sila matakot kahit na Bentley ang sasakyan. Pag hindi presidente o VP, yan hulihin nila,” Gatchalian said in a reply to Ejercito’s Twitter post.
The Wang Wang days are back! The PNP should crackdown on this. Huwag sila matakot kahit na Bentley ang sasakyan. Pag hindi presidente o VP, yan hulihin nila.
— Sherwin Gatchalian (@stgatchalian) July 7, 2022
(The Wang Wang days are back! The PNP should crackdown on this. They should not fear even if the person drives a Bentley. If s/he is not a president or vice president, they should be apprehended.)
Under Presidential Decree No. 96, signed by former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the use or attachment 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” to his/her vehicle is unlawful.