Vehicular traffic along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City. (File photo)
MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday ordered all police officers to disregard name-dropping or showing of calling cards of high-ranking officials by erring motorists to get away with their traffic violations.
PNP officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, made the order noting that policemen tend to get easily intimidated when accosting lawbreakers who are fond of flashing calling cards of "friends in high places".
"We will no longer tolerate this. Anyone who will not enforce the law just because somebody tells them that he is a friend of some government big shot will be charged administratively for negligence. Bawal na ang mga nagpapasindak sa mga nagpapakita ng mga calling card (Don't be intimidated by those calling cards)," said Gamboa in a statement on Friday.
Gamboa particularly noted that during the Holiday season when Metro Manila traffic turns from worse to worst, many motorists break traffic rules just to get ahead out of the gridlock thinking that their calling cards will always save them.
He added that traffic policemen should also strictly prohibit the use of sirens and blinkers for private individuals or even government officials who are not authorized by law to use these emergency contraptions. He noted that some private individuals use these sirens and blinkers to sneak their way out of Metro Manila's traffic woes.
"Lalo na ngayong Pasko napakaraming pasaway. Kailangan lahat sumunod at kailangan lahat pantay-pantay. (Especially this coming Yuletide season, there are a lot of violators. All must follow and equal before the law.) We cannot eliminate corruption if we cannot even address this "palakasan" system even on simple traffic violations," Gamboa said. (PNA)
