At least 45 former and active officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) are facing graft charges for allegedly rigging the bidding process in the procurement of firetrucks from 2018 to 2024, resulting in an estimated ₱2.1 billion in losses due to corruption.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla announced that cases are being prepared for filing before the Office of the Ombudsman against the officials, including three former BFP chiefs.
Among those to be charged are former BFP directors Leonardo Banago and Louie Puracan, as well as suspended BFP chief Jesus Fernandez. Remulla said the charges will also cover other BFP officers and members of the Bids and Awards Committee, Technical Working Group, and Technical Specifications Committee involved in the procurement cycles.
Two private suppliers allegedly favored throughout the bidding process are also impleaded. According to Remulla, each firetruck was supposed to cost ₱9 million but was purchased at ₱15 million per unit—an overprice of about 70 percent.
“Our estimate is around 350 fire trucks times P6 million,” Remulla said, adding that the bid-rigging from 2018 to 2024 resulted in P2.1 billion ending in the pockets of corrupt BFP officials and personnel.
All of the respondents will be facing both administrative and criminal charges, including grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. (Aaron Recuenco)
