BFP chief, 19 others face corruption raps

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January 14, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection, including BFP director Jesus Fernandez, will face charges for alleged involvement in bid rigging, kickbacks and other forms of corruption, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said yesterday.

Remulla said he is particularly irked at Fernandez, whom he accused of attempting to offer him millions of pesos in kickbacks in the procurement of fire trucks.

Recalling a birthday party in December last year, Remulla said one of Fernandez’s subordinates approached his friend.

“They asked (my friend) to (relay a message) to me that I’d be getting P1.5 million per truck,” Remulla told reporters in a Zoom interview.

When his friend informed him about the offer, Remulla confronted Fernandez the following day and scolded him.

Remulla said he would recommend to President Marcos to relieve Fernandez from his post.

The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is looking into the allegations against Fernandez, Remulla said.

The BFP officials will face charges before the ombudsman for bid rigging in the procurement of fire trucks and equipment, a scheme that has been going on for over two decades, according to Remulla.

He earlier tagged the 40,000-strong BFP as the most corrupt attached agency of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Based on his assessment, Remulla said erring BFP officials earn around P15 billion in kickbacks annually through the sale of overpriced fire trucks, fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems.

Owners of commercial establishments and condominium buildings cannot operate without fire inspection clearance certificates from the BFP, Remulla noted.

“They cannot secure occupancy permits without clearance from the BFP and they will not be given a certificate until they purchase a fire extinguisher or a sprinkler system,” he said.

Authorities also uncovered another scheme wherein applicants are required to shell out P500,000 in exchange for a post in the BFP.

To deter corruption, the DILG has purchased 14,000 body-worn cameras for fire safety inspectors.

The BFP, for its part, said it views Remulla’s corruption allegations as a challenge for the bureau to cleanse its ranks of misfits.