JV Ejercito slams luxury vehicle convoy with ‘wangwang,’ escorts
July 07, 2022
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on
Thursday condemned a convoy of luxury vehicles that was unlawfully using sirens
and escorts in a major highway in Metro Manila.
“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!”
he said in a tweet.
The lawmaker said only the President, Vice
President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief of
Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Chief of the Philippine
National Police should be entitled to sirens and escorts.
“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.
Ejercito said heavy traffic can never justify
the unlawful use of sirens, more popularly known as “wang-wang,” and escorts
along the country’s busiest thoroughfares.
“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.
He said the political will is needed to
empower traffic enforcers to pursue individuals and officials who commit these
kinds of abuse.
“Trabaho na ng police ‘yan, ng enforcers at
LTO. Meron namang batas diyan. Noong panahon ni PNoy, kahit papaano, sinama
niya sa kanyang inaugural address na bawal ang wang-wang. Nawala talaga for six
years,” he said.
“I think there is a Presidential Decree by
(the late) President Marcos. Pag sinabi naman ni President BBM ‘yan, I think
lahat naman susunod,” he added.
Ejercito was referring to Presidential Decree No. 96,
which prohibits “the owner or possessor of any motor vehicle to use or attach
to his vehicle 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.”
