ESPRESSO MORNINGS
By Joe Zaldarriaga
He was the architect behind Meralco’s most celebrated milestones in the field of communications— steering the company to five-time Company of the Year honors at the Philippine Quill Awards and leading the only PR team ever named Team of the Year in the history of the Anvil Awards.
Manong Joe’s leadership also extends as a respected member of the Board of Trustees for the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), concurrent with his role as Chairman of the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines (IABC Philippines) where he also served as its President.
Manong Joe is a distinguished awardee of the medallion of honor and scroll of commendation from the University of Manila, owing to his years in public service as a communications professional. He shares his insights through columns in renowned publications, including The Philippine Star’s The Z Factor, and Philippine News Agency’s ESPRESSO MORNINGS.
The recent road altercation involving an undersecretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the misuse of a protocol plate is yet another blatant display of entitlement and an ironic betrayal of the very essence of public service associated with the government agency.
In a video that has made rounds on social media, a luxury vehicle bearing a “10” protocol plate — assigned to justices of the Court of Appeals (CA), the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), the Sandiganbayan, and the Solicitor General based on regulations of the Land Transportation Authority (LTO)— was involved in a road altercation in Quezon City.
The vehicle, which was ferrying DOTr Undersecretary for Special Concerns Ricky Alfonso, used blinkers and was driven by a man who repeatedly emphasized that the passenger was a “VIP” and reportedly punched another motorist — a multicab driver — on the head.
The incident revealed a loophole in the use of protocol plates: while Alfonso is authorized to use one, the vehicle was not officially registered for it. The DOTr has asked Alfonso for an explanation while the LTO has preventively suspended the license of the luxury vehicle driver as investigations continue.
The DOTr, in its memorandum, stressed that “the use of protocol plates does not automatically confer upon government officials a ‘VIP’ status, especially when it comes to implementation and compliance with traffic laws, rules and regulations.”
While disappointing and intolerable, the incident is not surprising at all. It is only the recent addition to a long list of power abuse incidents of “VIP” government officials that stem from a deeply ingrained culture of impunity. We see it on our roads. The blatant misuse of blinkers, sirens, and protocol plates has become a shortcut for asserting dominance on the road over ordinary motorists.
When public officials or their staff act with arrogance or impunity, they only erode public trust and undermine the very institutions they represent.
This culture of “VIP” entitlement must end. Government officials are not royalty. They are, supposedly and ideally, public servants who are accountable to the people and as the DOTr rightly stated in its memo — individuals who must “serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency,” and “lead modest lives”.
The fact that a driver can assault another motorist in the name of supposed “VIP” privilege (that should not exist in the first place) shows how power can easily be used to intimidate the very people they should be serving.
This incident is a call for decorum — not just in practice but in mindset. Public office, after all, is a public trust, and public servants must embody the values they are sworn to uphold. They must remember that the power they hold is not a badge of superiority but a symbol of responsibility to the people.
Privilege, when unchecked, becomes entitlement. And entitlement, when normalized, breeds impunity.
Broadly speaking, this is a moment to reflect and confront the normalization of “VIP” behavior of public officials in our country. Decorum, accountability, and humility should not be mere nice-to-haves in public office but should be necessities. It ensures that public service is rooted in humility, not hubris.
As for the public, we must continue to be vigilant against abusive behavior of public officials. Let us continue to call out abuse of authority, and corruption and demand better from those who take on the responsibility of public service.
May this incident serve as a reminder to those in government — from the highest ranks to the most junior staff — they are servants of the people, not VIPs above them.
