Taytay fire chief sacked over ‘pool supplying’

The head of a fire station in Rizal province was relieved of his post Monday amid an investigation into a photo showing a fire truck apparently refilling a private swimming pool.

Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) director Louie Puracan said that Sr. Insp. Juanito Luna, chief of the Taytay, Rizal Fire Station, was replaced pending the probe.

The order came after Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. saw the photo on social media, Puracan said.

In the photo — posted by a Facebook account called “Taytay Updates” — showed a fire truck parked in front of a house in Maharlika Village, Taytay. A fire hose appeared to be running from the truck to the house.

In a document issued by Abalos via his Facebook page, the DILG chief ordered BFP chief Louie Puracan to launch an in-depth investigation to identify the firemen involved in using the firetruck to refill the swimming pool with water in a house allegedly owned by Taytay Mayor Allan de Leon.

“A photo of a fire truck allegedly being used to refill a private swimming pool was posted by a Facebook user named Taytay Updates. This incident reportedly took place in Maharlika Village, Taytay, Rizal,” Abalos said.