The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is investigating senior Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) officials allegedly implicated by an arrested personnel in a “slot-for-sale” recruitment scheme that demanded as much as ₱500,000 from applicants.

CIDG Regional Office 3 chief Col. Grant Gollod said Wednesday the suspect identified senior BFP officers as alleged accomplices, prompting investigators to widen their probe.

“Yes, she is mentioning her senior officers, but I am sorry I am not at liberty to disclose right now who they are because there is an ongoing case buildup against them, so that is included in our charges,” Gollod said during a press briefing at Camp Crame.

The suspect, an active BFP personnel, was arrested in an entrapment operation at a parking area in Barangay Maimpis, San Fernando City, Pampanga, on 24 August.

Gollod said prospective victims were allegedly identified through their names appearing on BFP Facebook posts and subsequently contacted through a dummy social media account.

“Well, once the applicants were on the BFP FB page, she would randomly contact them using [a] dummy account. So when someone responded, the transaction would begin,” Gollod said.

The complainant initially reported the alleged scheme to the BFP in Zambales, which immediately referred the matter to the CIDG and led to the entrapment operation.

During an earlier meeting with the complainant, the suspect allegedly presented her BFP identification card and claimed she had previously sold recruitment slots to applicants in other regions.

She allegedly demanded ₱500,000 in exchange for securing the complainant’s entry into the BFP. When the applicant said the amount was unaffordable, the demand was allegedly reduced to ₱300,000.

Gollod said investigators also uncovered four previous transactions in which applicants allegedly paid ₱100,000 each to secure BFP positions.

He said the suspect’s alleged accomplices played a significant role in processing or arranging recruitment documents.

The suspect is expected to face robbery and extortion charges in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act, while the alleged accomplices could face similar charges.

20,000 applicants, 2,504 slots

Asked why recruitment slots could allegedly command as much as ₱500,000, BFP spokesperson F/Supt. Anthony Arroyo pointed to intense competition for a limited number of positions.

The BFP is hiring only 2,504 personnel nationwide this year despite receiving more than 20,000 applications.

“Napakaraming aplikante. Regular quota lang naman ay 2,000. Nadagdagan lang for this year ng 504 dahil sa attrition quota. At kung i-divide pa natin ‘yan sa bawat region, halimbawa sa isang region ay nasa more or less 100 ang quota. So ang aplikante dyan ay halos hindi lamang times 5, halos times 10 ang mga aplikante,” Arroyo said in a separate phone interview.

Arroyo reiterated the BFP’s warning against fixers and individuals claiming they could guarantee applicants a position in the agency.

The BFP has introduced its e-Hire recruitment system, allowing applicants to submit applications online and monitor their status in real time.

Arroyo said the system is intended to reduce applicants’ expenses while limiting opportunities for favoritism, undue influence and corruption.

“‘Yung recruitment process against potential influence or corruption, talagang matinding pagbabago. ‘Yun nga lang, merong mga gumagawa ng hindi dapat at mino-monitor natin ‘yan at tinatrabaho ng aming ahensya sa mga erring namin na mga officer,” he said.

The CIDG and BFP are investigating whether more applicants fell victim to the alleged scheme.