Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in an interview Friday morning that 49 officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) have been suspended and charged before the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged irregularities involving fire truck procurement and inspection operations.

Remulla disclosed that the investigation began shortly after he assumed office, when information about alleged anomalies in fire truck purchases reached him through associates.

“Someone told my friends to inform me that there was supposedly P1.5 billion involved in every truck,” Remulla said in Filipino, recalling how the allegations prompted him to examine the procurement process.

He said the investigation looked into bank records, pricing discrepancies, and procurement procedures, including comparisons between commercial and government procurement pricing.

“By the grace of God, the investigation reached 49 BFP officials. The entire directorate was included. After my careful investigation, I already filed cases against all of them before the Ombudsman,” he said.

Remulla said the officials are currently suspended while reforms are being implemented within the agency under the bureau’s new leadership.

He also ordered the reassignment of around 650 fire inspectors in Metro Manila, saying corruption had become deeply embedded in the system.

“I removed all of them,” he said. “I assigned them to Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Sulu. If they want to continue doing illegal activities, they can do it there.”

The secretary said new inspectors deployed in Metro Manila are now required to wear body cameras during operations to increase transparency and accountability. He added that authorities have already caught four more personnel since the reforms began.

“Slowly, we are dismantling their system,” Remulla said.

He also revealed alleged corruption in the recruitment process within the BFP, claiming some applicants previously had to pay between P200,000 and P800,000 just to secure entry into the agency.

“Where else can you hear of joining the BFP with an entry fee of P800,000?” he said.

To prevent under-the-table transactions, Remulla said he directed regional directors to conduct transparent hiring procedures through live-streamed Facebook raffles for qualified applicants.

When asked whether reassigned personnel could continue illegal activities in far-flung areas, Remulla said opportunities for corruption would be limited in their new assignments.

“There is nothing for them to exploit there in Basilan,” he said. “The places I sent them to have little activity. They can cool off there.”