THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday vowed a sweeping internal cleansing within the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla assuring the public that reforms are already underway to strengthen accountability and reset the culture inside the fire service.
Remulla said the Department has begun implementing reforms both at the recruitment level and among senior officials.
“If you think the job of internal cleansing is easy, mahirap talaga ‘yan. Inumpisahan na namin sa baba, sa recruitment sinampolan na namin. Yung sa taas, sinampolan na namin,” Remulla said.
“Hopefully, this will lead to a re-formulation of the culture inside the BFP. Kung nagawa namin sa PNP ‘yan, magagawa din namin sa BFP ‘yan,” he continued, referring to reforms previously implemented in the Philippine National Police.
The DILG chief expressed confidence that morale remains strong among BFP personnel, emphasizing that the reforms aim to protect the rank and file and uphold the integrity of the institution.
“Ang kawawa dito yung rank and file. There are 40,000 employees ng BFP, sila ang araw-araw, buhay ang nakasalalay, pero yung mga boss nila umuuwi na ganyan karaming pera,” he said.
Meanwhile, Remulla urged the public to report any irregularities or abusive practices involving BFP personnel, particularly during fire safety inspections.
The call comes amid reports that some BFP inspectors allegedly attempted to bypass the use of body-worn cameras by sending an initial team ahead of the official inspection.
“Kung merong pumuntang inspector sa inyo at kinukulit kayo, and beyond the ambit of their responsibilities, paki video ang sinasabi nila at itawag ninyo sa DILG. And I will personally take care of it,” Remulla said.
He also encouraged the public not to be afraid to come forward with evidence of wrongdoing.
“Hindi titigil ito kung takot kayo eh. Ako mismo ang maninigurado na sila ay malalagay sa tamang pwesto,” he added.
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