Highway cops seek law vs sale of blinkers, sirens

MANILA, Philippines - The Highway Patrol Group (HPG) is urging lawmakers to craft a law that would regulate the sale and distribution of sirens and blinkers.

HPG spokesman Superintendent Edwin Butacan said although the Philippine National Police (PNP) can go after users of illegal sirens and blinkers, they cannot stop auto supply shops from openly selling blinkers and sirens as these have not been declared illegal.

Butacan said Presidential Decree 96, a law signed by the late President Ferdinand Marcos during the martial law years, is silent on the sale of blinkers and sirens.

“Even we (policemen) go to these stores to buy sirens or blinkers when ours get damaged,” he said. “We simply cannot stop them from selling these blinkers and sirens.”

Butacan said the only time police can interfere is during the actual installation of these devices in vehicles.

“There is no law regulating these stores from selling blinkers and sirens. They can sell to just anybody. What we need now is strict regulation. Maybe a law should be passed ordering these stores to first thoroughly screen buyers of these devices,” he said.

The HPG reported that they flagged down a total of 190 vehicles using illegal sirens and blinkers as early as January, way before President Aquino’s directive was given.

Butacan, however, admitted that the President’s crusade against the indiscriminate use of sirens and blinkers made the campaign more popular and effective.

On his first day in office, the President set the example by obeying traffic rules on his way to Malacañang.

Mr. Aquino even ordered the Presidential Security Group (PSG) escorting him not to use sirens.

Even before his formal inauguration last Wednesday, the President gave specific instructions to his driver to stop at every red traffic light.