I’M saying this in the wake of assertions made by many of my policemen-friends that unless there is a law that will strictly prohibit the importation, manufacture and sale and distribution of sirens, blinkers and other accoutrements being used by some abusive motorists, they won’t be able to really stop these ‘utak wangwang’ in our country.

The fact here is that since 1999, the PNP has been very strict in going after unauthorized persons using sirens and blinkers in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. Since November last year, I learned that the PNP Highway Patrol Group have already confiscated 68 sirens, 878 blinkers and 1,566 unauthorized plates from drivers of motor vehicles and motorbikes.

However, it seems that the ‘wangwang’ problem is not stopping despite the PNP crackdown. It was then PNP chief, now retired Senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson who ordered his men to apprehended all persons illegally using ‘wangwang,’ blinkers and other accoutrements in their SUVs, vans, cars and even motorcycles.

The PNP has a command memorandum circular long prohibiting the use of these gadgets and ordering the PNP Highway Patrol Group to go after violators of the rule. The same ‘No Wangwang Policy’ was ordered by the late President Benigno Aquino III and former President Duterte and is expected to be followed by President Bongbong Marcos.

However, the public must understand that to effectively prevent the presence of abusive motorists using sirens and blinkers in the country, Congress must enact a law that will effectively prevent the importation, manufacture and sale and distribution of these gadgets.

Sad to say, sirens and blinkers are being sold like candies in different car accessory stores in Banawe, Quezon City as well as other similar establishments different parts of Metro Manila. Anybody who can afford to buy a siren or a blinker can easily purchase these gadgets in these stores without being asked by the seller if they are authorized to possess them.

This is the reason why apart from some politicians, government officials and law enforcement agents, rich people as well as ordinary civilians with some money to spare like FX and UV van drivers, motorcycle drivers as well as private security agencies and barangay vehicles which are not included in the list of those exempted from using the gadget, can be seen equipped with sirens and blinkers and acting as if they are king of the roads.

For some, using a ‘wangwang’ or a blinker seems to give them a high and the self-entitlement that they can violate traffic rules and regulations to the consternation of the motoring public. You can only curse when, while stuck in the middle of a traffic, you suddenly hear the wailing sound of a siren and see the flashing blinkers in your rear view mirror. Then all of a sudden, a civilian SUV or car goes against the traffic or even nearly hit other vehicles.

During the time of Gen. Lacson, I know that all policemen were forced to remove sirens and blinkers from their private vehicles or be subjected to administrative investigation for violation of a direct order from the PNP chief.

The reason is simple: if policemen will stop from using sirens and blinkers illegally, the rest will follow. However, although the PNP already has a policy against the said practice—my friend, former PNP head now retired Gen. Dindo Espina then even spoke that ‘wangwangs’ should be a symbol of authority, not a symbol of abuse—many continue to use these gadgets because of lax laws.

The reason is very simple as I have said. These gadgets are being sold above-the counter with establishments even offering to install them at the vehicles of their clients when police are not looking.

What the next Congress must do, officials from the PNP-HPG have proposed is to enact a law that will stop the illegal importation, sale and distribution of these gadgets. Many of my friends in the PNP-HPG have told me they have been going all-out against illegal users of sirens, blinkers and other illegal devices in their motor vehicles but the most they can do is to order their removal, confiscate the gadgets and issue tickets to the violators.

This is because of the glaring fact that there is no real law that allows the police to arrest dealers and buyers of sirens and blinkers per see unless these gadgets are found to be being attached to vehicles of unauthorized persons and are being used while driving.

Thus, my friends have told me to recommend to lawmakers like Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito and Sherwin Gatchalian to sponsor a new law that will make it illegal for unauthorized persons to sell or buy these gadgets. It should be like buying a prescription medicine or a licensed firearm or even like a law that prohibits the sale of liquor and tobacco products to people below 18 years of age.

I was told that police cannot arrest the seller or the buyer of the gadgets in the absence of a law that makes such business illegal. “We can’t even raid these establishments in the absence of a law lest we face counter-charges in court and risk our career,” one of my friends told me.

Although Senators Senators Ejercito and Gatchalian lately have expressed dismay over the proliferation of sirens and blinkers in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, officials have asked them to lead the way in passing a tough ‘anti-wangwang law’ in the country.

“They are the ones making our laws so we are calling on them to pass a law that will really make it illegal for unauthorized persons to buy or sell sirens and gadgets in our country,” one of my friends said.

At present, there is only Presidential Decree No. 96 issued by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos on January 13, 1973 which declared “unlawful the use or attachment of sirens, bells, horns, whistles or similar gadgets that emit exceptionally loud or startling sounds, including domelights and other signalling or flashing devices on motor vehicles and providing certain exceptions therefor.’

The late strongman declared then that ‘much of the chaotic conditions from which our people have suffered and still continue to suffer are the direct result of indiscriminate and unregulated use of sirens, bells, horns, whistles and similar gadgets that emit exceptionally loud or startling sounds, including domelights and other similar signalling or flashing devices attached to motor vehicles and used on the highways.”

He also said that the unregulated use of those gadgets “are inconsistent with sound traffic discipline and control on the highways, and in effect constitute a major problem in the maintenance of peace and order.”

Thus, PD 96 made it unlawful for 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 domelights, blinkers and other similar signalling or flashing devices.

Under PD 96, the gadgets or devices mentioned above may be attached to and use only on motor vehicles designated for official use by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Land Transportation Commission, Police Departments, Fire Departments, and hospital ambulances.”

Under the said law, “any device or gadget installed or mounted on any motor vehicle or otherwise used in violation of this decree shall be subject to immediate confiscation and, in cases of a second and subsequent offenses, the offender shall be prosecuted for violation of this Decree before the military tribunal and, upon conviction thereof, shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for six months and/or a fine of 600 pesos. In addition, the certificate of registration of the motor vehicle on which the unauthorized gadget or device herein mentioned is installed, mounted or used shall be cancelled or revoked.”

However, more than 49 years after it was enacted, there is still no new law that bars the unauthorized sale and use of these gadgets, thus it is very easy for any moneyed Juan de la Cruz to buy sirens and gadgets from stores without being apprehended.

“What we need here is a law that will stop the source of these gadgets from selling them to all kinds of customers. In the first place, the sellers should also first get a permit from the government and law enforcement agencies before being allowed to engage in the business of importing, distributing and selling these supposed to be illegal gadgets,” my friend told me.

“Second, there must be a law that will equip us with the power to apprehend anybody who will be found in possession of these gadgets as soon as they leave the store where they purchased the units. Everybody must understand here that right now, there is no law that makes it illegal to sell and buy these gadgets,” he added. Very well said. I hope that our lawmakers are listening.