JANUARY 14, 2026 — Corruption in the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is like a fire alarm ringing in our ears. Twenty officials, including BFP director Jesus Fernandez, now face charges for alleged bid rigging, kickbacks, and schemes that Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla says have been burning taxpayers for decades.

Remulla recalled a December birthday party where one of Fernandez’s men tried to send him a message through a friend: “They asked (my friend) to (relay a message) to me that I’d be getting P1.5 million per truck,” Remulla told reporters. 

The next day, Remulla confronted Fernandez and scolded him.

Think about that — P1.5 million per truck. Multiply that across years of procurement, and you begin to see why Remulla estimates kickbacks in the BFP reach around P15 billion annually. 

Fifteen billion pesos that could have gone to better equipment, safer communities, or even higher salaries for honest firefighters. Instead, it allegedly lined pockets.

And here’s the part that should make every Filipino pause: businesses and condo owners cannot operate without fire inspection clearance certificates from the BFP. 

As Remulla explained, “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.” 

In other words, corruption doesn’t just happen in government offices — it trickles down to ordinary people trying to build livelihoods or secure a home for their family.

Add to that another scheme: applicants allegedly paying P500,000 for a post in the BFP. Imagine the ripple effect — positions bought, not earned, leading to compromised safety standards. 

If fire protection is supposed to be about saving lives, how many lives have been put at risk because of greed?

To fight back, the DILG has rolled out 14,000 body-worn cameras for inspectors. A good move, but will technology alone be enough to douse a fire that’s been raging for two decades?

The BFP says it sees these allegations as a challenge to cleanse its ranks. But should we, the public, simply wait and hope? Or should we demand louder, stronger accountability?

Apparently, corruption burns bright like a blaze at the BFP, and it’s time Filipinos demand the fire be put out. Are we really going to sit back and let this fire truck scandal blow up like the flood control scam?

(Image: Philippine News Agency)