Coloma’s ‘wang-wang’-blaring convoy nearly causes mishap

[chua_riwap]

Sablay na naman ang isang alipores ni PNoy..........
Bingengot kaya si Coloma....na di nya alam na nagwa-wangwang ang mga escorts nya?


The Daily Tribune - Without Fear or Favor

Top Malacañang official Herminio Coloma Jr., head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), may have not taken to heart his boss’, President Aquino, vow to the Filipino people to remove the so-called “wang-wang” mentality by precisely moving through the streets without sirens and horns of an official’s convoy blaring.

In a video that was forwarded by a private citizen to The Tribune, a black Starex van bearing license plate RHH 202 was cruising along Gen. Antonio Luna Street in San Mateo, Rizal. The van, which was later found to have Coloma on board had four cars and three motorcycles escorting him.

The Tribune source said that all five cars (including the black Starex) and the three motorcycle unit riders wearing shirts with markings which reads “OPSS” which stands for the Office of Public Safety and Security of the San Mateo, Rizal local government, had their blinkers on and honking their sirens (wang-wang) for the entire duration that they were traversing Gen. Antonio Luna Street of that municipality.

“We had the chance to see the convoy up close and that’s when we saw one of the car’s plate numbers as RHH 202. It was a black Starex SUV. We also saw the escorts to have OPSS Task Force marked on the back of their shirts. OPSS stands for the Office of Public Safety and Security, the local version of the MMDA in Metro Manila,” the source, Armand Nocum, a former reporter of the Phlippine Daily Inquirer, told The Tribune.

Nocum narrated that he was with his wife and son and were traversing Gen. Luna St., around 6:40 p.m. last Friday, on their way to a private recreational resort to unwind when two motorcycle escorts with their sirens and horns blowing overtook their vehicle and motioned them to slow down to allow a convoy of cars to pass through.

He added that the blowing of car horns and sirens so startled his wife — who was driving — that she was forced to veer to the right, barely hitting a parked truck, thus caused the head of his sleeping eight-month old boy to hit his head on the leathered panels of the car’s right door. Violently shaken from sleep by the series of bumps on the head, the baby boy was said to have started crying.

He further noted that the black Starex made several attempts to do a “counter-flow” with the help of car convoys and motorcycle units, who were honking their sirens while the traversing the entire stretch the San Mateo town’s main artery, thus creating a monstrous traffic.

“The effort of the three motorcycle escorts and about four to five cars to overtake other vehicles and stop incoming cars from traveling only caused traffic to halt as mayhem hit the small barangay road. The whaling of sirens and blinkers illuminating the dark night pierced the peace and silence of this sleepy town, forcing people to go out and find whether there was a fire or what the ruckus was all about,” he said.

Upon reaching the Timberland Heights mountain estate (also in San Mateo, Rizal), the guards on duty at the main gate of the Timberland saluted the and waved their hands to the black Starex, apparently signaling the drivers of the fleet of cars to just go straight ahead and skip the routine inspection that the Timberland Heights management has been strictly enforcing for years.

In the video, the source was heard asking the guard on duty as to who the VIP passenger was in the black Starex.

“When we finally reached the gates of Timberland Heights mountain estate, I saw the normally strict guards saluting and waving off the convoy. As our turn to pass came, I asked the guards whether the VIP was (San Mateo)Mayor (Rafael) Diaz and they replied: “Secretary Coloma po!”

The Tribune source, who runs his own business in central Manila, likewise called on the President Aquino to make Sec. Coloma answerable to what he described as a wanton disregard of the traffic rules and regulations and a display of his insubordination by his Cabinet men.

“Obviously, this official does not believe in the President’s declaration of Tuwid na Daan (straight path). This official may have been sleeping like my son when the President declared that he was doing away with wang-wangs in his inauguration speech!” the source added.

Coloma admitted that he was on board one of the vehicles in the convoy, and sought apology from Nocum.

“Only today, I learned that the motorcycle escorts accompanying my official vehicle caused another vehicle to swerve. This incident caused undue stress and anxiety to the occupants of the vehicle, Mr. Armand Nocum, his wife and their infant child. I extend my apology to Mr. Nocum and his family,” Coloma said in text message.

Coloma added that he had requested the San Mateo police department to require the two policemen who served as his escorts to render an account of the incident “so proper remedial measures may be adopted.”

Coloma said that the San Mateo police provided him the two motorcycle escorts on his way to a speaking engagement.

[Monseratto]

At least nag personally apologise siya agad, di kagaya ng iba umabot ng isang linggo bago umimik...

[KERSMcRae]

imposibleng di makita at marinig ni Coloma ang mga wangwang ng convoy niya. hinayaan lang nya mangbully ang mga ogags na yan. Sa tingin ko mga pulis Rizal talaga ang magaling magwangwang. Few months ago pinatabi rin kami along ML Quezon ave ng mga buwang na police escorts parang lang makadaan ng maluwang sa 2 lanes ang binabantayan nila. malamang galing sila sa Thunderbird..

[shadow]

imposibleng di makita at marinig ni Coloma ang mga wangwang ng convoy niya. hinayaan lang nya mangbully ang mga ogags na yan. Sa tingin ko mga pulis Rizal talaga ang magaling magwangwang. Few months ago pinatabi rin kami along ML Quezon ave ng mga buwang na police escorts parang lang makadaan ng maluwang sa 2 lanes ang binabantayan nila. malamang galing sila sa Thunderbird..

Possible since vast majority of VIP oblivious sa surroundings nila.

[Monseratto]

I think di maka angal si Coloma since guest siya ng local goverment dun. He's only the press secretary afterall at di sa kanya yung mga tauhan nag wang wang. Yung dapat mapagalitan dun yung nag arrange ng detail niya.