Two days ago, the Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a story of how a security convoy of a certain cabinet member (RG) allegedly pointed a gun at a motorist who would not let the convoy through along White Plains Avenue in Quezon City. Yesterday (23 May), the editorial of the Philippine Star also tackled the issue of abusive security details of so-called "public servants" and other "VIPs".

Feel free to post your thoughts and experiences as regards security convoys, blinkers, and sirens...

kill them all...

seriously, only the pres and her vp should be allowed to have escorts. everyone else should feel 'our' pain. maybe, just maybe, we'll get these people to solve the traffic problem once and for all.

Wasn't there a law made around Cory's time that banned the use of "wang-wangs" in non-emergency situations? Of course, typical Pinoy ningas-kugon, the same people who wrote the law are the same guys who break it.

RG, his head of security (who RG claims he doesn't know), and all of those clowns have the gall to say that their erratic schedule necessitates their having to use those "wang-wangs" to make it to their next appointments.

Bovine Excreta! The common tao has to make do with the traffic and a not-so-friendly daily schedule as well. If only our politicians were disciplined enough to stick to a schedule and cut out the "brown nosing" and face timing activities, maybe they could manage their time more effectively. But noooooooo! Absolute power corrupts absolutely!

So far, I haven't had any experiences with motorcades or security personnel. I also seem to recall that the use of wang-wangs is discouraged even among government agencies. If such an incident really did take place, I think it's appalling.

I agree that security personnel, whether or not acting independently or on instruction of their bosses, have no right to treat their fellow citizens so shabbily. (Since this is a democracy, we are all citizens with equal rights, whether or not we are some hotshot's chuchuwas.) Those escorts, if present at all (because some officials don't avail of them), are there to protect their boss from harm, not to endanger the safety of others.

Being late to a meeting will not kill their boss, but acting like jerks to get him/her there on time can kill the public's confidence in our government and our country. Way to go, morons.

Truth to tell, I come across numerous of these low-life-forms regularly on the way to work. I also heard portions of the follow-up interview with RG with him explaining his side before I had to turn off the car engine to eke out a living. "What a load of crap." I told myself. They are not the only ones with erratic schedules.

Ditto on the use of sirens and blinkers. There is a law that says only emergency and police vehicles can use these devices. That's the same excuse the law enforcement people allegedly used to pull over Chavit before the Erap impeachment trial - because his SUV had blinkers and sirens.

I also recall from University days (long gone) that only the President, VP, Speaker of the House, Senate President and Chief Justice can use low-numbered plates (1-4 respectively). Now I see plates up to number 16 (City Council people? Sheesh).

Not long ago, I also recall that during his birthday, John Howard (Australia's PM) can be seen walking the streets of Brisbane with only a handful of unarmed plainclothes escorts being interviewed by reporters on Australia's participation in the Iraq invasion. This is a head of state taking an early morning walk... I don't like the Howard. I think he's a racist hypocrite, but I gotta admit that he knows how to project that he is just like any other Aussie with that stunt. I wonder if any of our politicos is willing to pull off something like that without their bodyguards armed to the teeth and the hawi brigade shoving people aside as if they were Moses parting the Red Sea?

I have this habit of not giving way whenever a driver decides to ditch his lane and counterflow towards the lane I'm using, but the funny thing is, whoever is riding in the car with me (be it GF or mom or friends) ends up berating me for being "matigas ang ulo" or for being a "reckless driver".

Haha. Ako pa ang naging reckless.

Such is the state of our dear land. If you have the guts, and you have the guns, go ahead and do it even if it's against the law. No one can touch you, no one will dare, you have the guns, you are KING.

The longest I've held my ground was a couple of tension-filled minutes. The other guy was in an SUV and I was in sedan. I was in a bad mood so I felt "reckless", I refused to give way, he refused to go back to his lane. We didn't have a shouting match because after a couple of minutes my ex-gf was saying he might have a gun (SUV's = gun owners), and i should stop being such an idot, so I moved over to the lane to my left. Retribution came quickly because the driver of the car behind me drove up to SUV guy, got down from his car and had a shouting match with SUV guy.

Moral of the story? People who counterflow are idiots. People who stand their ground are cool.

As far as I know, the President, VP, Heads of Senate and Congress are the only officials who are allowed to have wang-wangs, apart from all emergency vehicles.
Of course, if you can buy it in Banawe, no one can stop you from using it.

They should penalize drivers with wang-wangs on their private vehicles. And blue or pink front and tail lights. And repainted car plates. I suggested to the LTO to include these in the annual inspection of vehicles.

I think Conrad de Quiros wrote an excellent editorial on the topic today (http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=38696&col=77). I think we should all do somethng to let these idiots with sirens and blinkers know just how disgusted we are with them. Any suggestions?

They're just a bunch of show-offs.

If you really want to keep yourself secure, the best way to do it is to have your security people at a certain distance. And be discreet about it.

Some military officials observe this. These "hagads" should learn from them.