Wang-Wang

Last Wednesday, June 30, 2010 President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III was inaugurated as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines.

During his inaugural speech, he stressed about “Walang wang-wang.” (“Wang-wang” is a term called to politicians who are blaring their sirens just to get out of a heavy traffic.) And again being Filipinos that we are, some people agreed and disagreed with his statement.

It’s true that “wang-wang” or sirens is not the main problem of our country, and he should really not be focusing on the “wang-wang” issue. There are issues on poverty, education, hunger, and population that needs to be resolved. It’s also true that not all Filipinos own a car, but you see most of us travel by public utility vehicles so most of us still experienced being stuck in a 1 hour traffic just to be passed by a politician who uses his/her “wang-wang” because he or she is late for a meeting, dinner or a party.

Here in our country having police escorts and having “wang-wang” is a sign of power.  How can a public servant serve the people if he or she abuses his or her power?

The ban on using sirens has been in force since 1973 when the dictator Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 96.

The decree 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 Land Transportation Office.

Offenders caught for the first time will result in immediate confiscation of the devices, while subsequent violations will be prosecuted before a military tribunal, which can impose a penalty of six months imprisonment, a P600 fine and revocation of the owner’s vehicle registration.

It was good that President Aquino addressed such an issue that for what some people think is a very minor issue. Because, this means that the people he is leading already has a “kakampi”. Just yesterday I read on inquirer.net that President Aquino went to the palace without using his car’s sirens and stopped at red lights. read the article here

Now that our President addressed this “minor” issue and is leading by example, I wonder if the others would follow…