EDITORIAL - Wang-wang war

Wang-wang is not just a siren on a VIP’s car. It is also a mindset, a symbol of abuse by those who are sworn to serve the public. In his second State of the Nation Address yesterday, President Aquino declared war on this type of wang-wang in government and in society in general. If this campaign turns out to be as successful as the one he waged on VIPs’ use of vehicle sirens at the start of his term, he would earn an exalted place in the nation’s history.

As the President enters his second year in office, the ban on the actual wang-wang – a dramatic change implemented overnight – is holding. That’s no small feat in this land of flash-in-the-pan reforms. The success can be attributed to a combination of citizen vigilance arising from genuine disgust with abusive VIPs, strict enforcement of existing rules on the use of sirens and blinkers, and the wide publicity that the campaign received, which shamed violators. But the factor that spelled the success of the campaign was leadership by example. If the President himself eschewed the privilege, even if the rules exempt him from the wang-wang ban, public officials of lower rank and well-connected civilians have no right to use sirens and blinkers.

Leadership by example will have a similar impact on the war on other forms of wang-wang. If corruption is rampant at the highest levels of government, there is no moral ascendancy to stop underlings from accepting bribes or demanding kickbacks. This kind of change must be set at the top, with compliance down the ranks achieved through a combination of carrot and stick.

As important as setting the example is sustaining the campaign. At the end of the President’s term, Filipinos should be left with no doubt that corruption does not pay, while good governance pays huge dividends for the country. As in the campaign against VIPs’ use of sirens, the war on wang-wang in government can be won with public support.