ILOILO City – Nearly half of the Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP) funds for fire trucks had been lost to alleged corruption under the previous administration, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said, blaming excessive markups and questionable procurement practices for contributing to a nationwide shortage of around 1,500 fire trucks.
During a visit here yesterday, Remulla said the government is now moving to wipe out the shortage through a three-year government-to-government procurement deal covering more than 1,500 fire trucks, with the first 150 units from South Korea expected to arrive starting January 2027.
“We have a backlog of 1,500 fire trucks throughout the Philippines. Starting January 2027, 150 fire trucks from South Korea will arrive,” Remulla said during an interview at the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
The DILG chief said the new procurement arrangement would eliminate middlemen and dramatically reduce the cost of each unit.
“This is probably the best transaction because it is government-to-government. There is no middleman,” Remulla said.
Remulla said the government entered into a three-year long-term supply agreement for more than 1,500 fire trucks, generating savings of about 40 percent compared with previous procurement costs.
“I entered into a three-year long-term supply agreement for more than 1,500 fire trucks to be purchased throughout the Philippines, with 40 percent savings,” he said.
According to Remulla, fire trucks that previously cost the government around P16 million each could now be purchased for only about P9.5 million.
“Now we will buy them for only P9.5 million. That is how significant the savings are,” he said.
The sharp price difference prompted scrutiny of previous BFP procurement transactions.
Remulla disclosed that he removed the BFP’s former chief after allegedly being told that P5 million was being sought for every fire truck purchased by the bureau.
“At the BFP, I removed your former chief. I will not name him. He was asking me for P5 million for every fire truck that the BFP would purchase,” Remulla said.
He said such an arrangement could have amounted to hundreds of millions of pesos annually.
“That would mean he would receive P300 million from me every year. I said, ‘Excuse me?’” Remulla said.
Remulla said the matter is now under investigation, particularly the alleged excessive markups in fire truck purchases.
“It is now being investigated why this happened. Apparently, the markups on your trucks were very high,” he said.
He blamed the alleged irregularities for making it difficult for governors and mayors to obtain additional firefighting equipment despite the pressing need in their communities.
“Governors and mayors who were asking for trucks were having a very difficult time because almost half of the BFP’s funds were going to corruption during the previous administration,” Remulla said.
“This time, this has to stop under Gen. Kwan Tiu,” he added, referring to the current BFP leadership.
The shortage of fire trucks has long been a concern in Western Visayas, where local governments and fire stations have sought additional equipment to strengthen response capabilities, particularly in densely populated communities and fire-prone areas.
Remulla stressed that inadequate equipment directly affects the ability of firefighters to respond to emergencies.
“For all the governors and mayors asking for trucks, it was very difficult because of the lack of equipment. How can you respond? Do you receive anything? You do not, right?” Remulla said.
The arrival of the first 150 South Korean fire trucks in January will kick off the nationwide rollout, with additional units to follow under the three-year supply agreement./PN
