Crime

BFP Chief Fernandez Caught in P14.7M Ambulance Bribery Scandal — DILG Files Charges

Tabloid PH Newsdesk

Mar 6, 2026 — 1 min read

Photo: The Manila Times

The head of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is in seriously hot water after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) filed both administrative and criminal complaints against him before the Office of the Ombudsman. Jesus Fernandez, the BFP chief, is accused of pocketing P14.752 million in bribes tied to the procurement of 132 ambulances for the agency.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla didn't mince words: "Ambulances are meant to save lives. Public funds intended for emergency response will never be allowed to become vehicles for corruption." The charges include grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, direct bribery, malversation of public funds, and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

According to investigators, the procurement process for 132 Type 1 Basic Life Support ambulances — which started in September 2024 — was allegedly rigged from the start. The supplier reportedly entered into a joint venture with an automotive company just to meet bidding requirements and lock down the contract. It's the classic government procurement manipulation playbook, and this time the evidence is damning.

Sworn affidavits detail how Fernandez — who also chaired the BFP Bids and Awards Committee — allegedly received P6 million in a suitcase and another P4.752 million in a bag during a meeting in Quezon City in November 2024. He then reportedly received an additional P4 million in cash in September 2025, bringing his total documented payoffs to P14.752 million.

Remulla said this ambulance case is just the tip of the iceberg — the DILG uncovered what they describe as a broader pattern of corruption within the BFP. "This culture of corruption has to stop. The institutionalization of corruption must come to an end. I believe it has to start from the top," he said. The DILG has asked the Ombudsman to preventively suspend Fernandez and has recommended to Malacañang that he be relieved from his post.

Source: The Manila Times

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