BFP Chief Slapped With Bribery, Graft Charges Over ₱14.7M Ambulance Kickback Scheme
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) chief Jesus Fernandez is now facing a mountain of criminal and administrative charges after the DILG filed complaints before the Ombudsman over an alleged ₱14.752 million bribery scheme tied to the procurement of 132 ambulances. Interior 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."
According to investigators, the procurement process for 132 Type 1 Basic Life Support ambulances — meant to beef up the BFP's emergency medical capabilities — was rigged from the start. Records show a favored supplier entered into a joint venture with an automotive company in October 2024, allegedly just to meet bidding requirements. Fernandez, who chaired the BFP Bids and Awards Committee, allegedly received ₱6 million in a suitcase and another ₱4.752 million in a bag during a meeting in Quezon City in November 2024.
The payoffs didn't stop there. Fernandez allegedly received an additional ₱4 million in cash in September 2025, bringing his total documented take to ₱14.752 million. The charges filed against him include grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, direct bribery, malversation of public funds, and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
But Remulla says this is just the tip of the iceberg. He revealed that corruption within the BFP appears systemic — from entry-level inspectors to regional directors. Some applicants allegedly paid up to ₱800,000 just to enter the agency, then had to remit monthly payments from fire inspection operations. "If corruption starts at the top, it trickles all the way down," Remulla said. He also dropped a bombshell: he was personally offered ₱1.5 million per truck as a cut in fire truck procurement deals.
The DILG has asked the Ombudsman to place Fernandez under preventive suspension and has recommended his relief to the Office of the President. The selection of the next BFP chief will undergo seven rounds of interviews and thorough financial vetting. Parang job interview na totoo this time — hindi basta appointment lang.
Source: The Manila Times
