Remulla owns fire truck shortage, cites corruption crackdown

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday took responsibility for the shortage of fire trucks, acknowledging delays in procurement that may have affected emergency response during the Holy Week period.

A total of 91 fires were recorded nationwide from 29 March to 5 April, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“Inaangkin ko po ang responsibilidad sa kakulangan ng fire trucks. Pero yan, ginawa ko lang dahil sobra na ang korupsiyon sa loob ng BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) It has to stop. I had to take the responsibility,” Remulla said during a press conference at the BFP headquarters in Quezon City, following the oath-taking of newly promoted officials.

Remulla said procurement delays have worsened the Bureau of Fire Protection’s equipment shortage, limiting its capacity to respond to emergencies. He noted that the crackdown on alleged irregularities within the agency also slowed down the acquisition process.

The DILG chief earlier disclosed that the BFP faces a deficit of about 600 fire trucks, partly due to overpriced contracts and alleged bid rigging in previous years.

“Because of corruption and overpricing, we could have already procured an additional 400 fire trucks,” he said.

He stressed that while demand from local government units remains high, reforms in procurement must take priority to ensure funds are properly used.

Remulla said the government is now working to rebuild the BFP’s operational capacity and address long-standing resource gaps.

“So ngayon, hopefully itong 2026 makaka-procure kami. I think we're targeting 300 trucks this year and 300 trucks next year,” he said.

He added that strengthening accountability in procurement is key to restoring public trust and ensuring responders are properly equipped.