Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday expressed her opposition to the directive of her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., prohibiting government officials from using sirens, blinkers, and other signaling devices on their vehicles.

“The use of sirens and other signaling devices should not be banned outright but should be heavily regulated. There are valid uses for these types of equipment,” Senator Marcos told reporters in a text message.

Instead of prohibiting government officials from the outright use of such signaling devices, she pushed for strict measures to curb abuse of their use.

“[T]hose that abuse these devices should be apprehended and be held liable under our laws,” she said.

In Administrative Order (AO) 18, Marcos reinstated the “anti wang-wang” policy first introduced by the late President Benigno Aquino III, aimed at preventing its abuse by officials and private persons who felt entitled and alleviating the deteriorating traffic situation in Metro Manila.

Emergency response vehicles such as ambulances, police and National Bureau of Investigation cars, fire trucks, and Armed Forces of the Philippines vehicles, among other agencies, are exempted from the prohibition.

“Let’s not go that route. I think the outright ban should be considered on a case-to-case basis, especially for emergencies, or official state visits and other various needs,” Marcos said.

She also questioned the rationale behind exempting the AFP and PNP from the AO, stressing that their use of signaling devices “might not always entail an emergency.”

100% support

On the other hand, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, a staunch transport advocate, welcomed the revival of the “anti-wangwang policy.”

“That is a very welcome announcement from the President. I support this 100 percent!” Ejercito told reporters in a Viber message.

“It seems that the use of sirens, blinkers, and HPG [Highway Patrol Group] escorts in a convoy has become a trend for government officials. The feeling of entitlement,” he said.

Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, supported the AO.

“Yes, I strongly support BBM’s [Bongbong Marcos] directive. Officials should be the first to set the right example,” Poe said in a separate statement.

Poe noted that traveling without using signaling devices would benefit government officials as they could experience traffic congestion firsthand.

“It’s also good for government officials to experience the traffic congestion firsthand so that we can hopefully be more motivated to find an effective and sustainable solution to the traffic problem experienced daily by our commuters,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also supported President Marcos’ AO 18.

“Let’s reject the wang-wang mentality! We definitely agree, and we laud the President for issuing Administrative Order No. 18,” he said.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed Administrative Order 18 on 25 March 2024 but only made it public on Thursday.

Marcos said government officials and workers who use signaling or flashing devices without permission or in the wrong way will be dealt with accordingly.