Two senior Bureau of Fire Protection officials are under investigation for irregularities in procuring P30 million worth of fire extinguishers for a condominium building, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he dismissed two BFP officials involved in the anomalous transaction. He did not disclose their identities from the BFP’s National Capital Region office and Quezon City fire district.
In an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “Politiko Talks” on Friday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed that two senior Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) officials are under investigation for irregularities in procuring fire extinguishers worth P30 million for a condominium building. According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), these officials are from the BFP’s National Capital Region office and Quezon City fire district, though their identities were not disclosed.
Remulla dismissed the two officials involved in the anomalous transaction. He described the BFP as the most corrupt attached agency of the DILG, noting that they have identified officials engaged in illegal activities, such as BFP scalawags selling fire extinguishers to commercial establishments at exorbitant prices. “They sell them at three times the original cost,” Remulla said.
Additionally, some BFP inspectors force business owners to hire contractors for sprinkler installations, receiving commissions in return. To address this, Remulla plans to require fire safety inspectors to wear body-worn cameras to record their activities.
This investigation forms part of the DILG’s broader efforts to combat corruption within the BFP, which has been notorious for operational irregularities.