17,000 illegal blinkers seized

MANILA, Philippines — The police Highway Patrol Group has confiscated more than 17,000 illegal vehicle blinkers as part of the intensified crackdown on unauthorized emergency devices, HPG director Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan reported yesterday.

Marantan said 17,426 blinkers, 875 sirens and horns as well as 214 modified mufflers were seized in operations enforcing Presidential Decree 96, which bans the use of emergency warning devices by anyone other than authorized agencies.

“One blinker out there is already abused on the road. If you have 500 to 1,000 people using these blinkers, that’s 1,000 taking advantage on the road,” Marantan told reporters.

He said only marked vehicles of the police, military, National Bureau of Investigation and ambulances are allowed to use blinkers and sirens. Luxury cars are not exempted.

Marantan warned sellers of these prohibited accessories. 

He said sellers are given a warning for the first offense, fined for the second and face arrest and penalty of six months in prison for the third offense.

Stolen cars

Nineteen stolen or illegally possessed vehicles have been recovered nationwide by the HPG.

In Central Luzon, the Regional Highway Patrol Units turned over a Toyota Veloz sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a Toyota Vios sedan, which were surrendered to the RHPU after the owners were informed of documentation and legal issues. 

Another Vios was recovered for using an improvised license plate and lacking official registration.

From RHPU Calabarzon, an Isuzu Travis van and a Honda BR-V SUVwere impounded after verification showed that the vehicles were not returned to the lawful owners or financing institutions.

In Metro Manila, the RHPU recovered eight vehicles in separate operations.