Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla assured the public Thursday that the procurement of assets for the government’s Unified 911 emergency response system is being conducted transparently and free from corruption.

Remulla said the procurement underwent competitive bidding, with acquisition costs benchmarked against prevailing market prices to safeguard taxpayer funds.

“Often, because of the large amounts of public money, people try to profit from it,” Remulla said. “Look at the bid price, the winning price, and compare it to the market price. Including all equipment, you will not see a single peso go into the pocket of anyone who signed those contracts.”

Since taking office, Remulla has advocated for stricter accountability across the DILG and its attached agencies, including the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

He recently ordered an investigation into more than 200 BFP officers over an alleged slot-selling scheme within the fire bureau.

Remulla pointed to a government-to-government agreement with South Korea for the acquisition of fire trucks as an example of cost-cutting measures that eliminate unnecessary intermediaries.

“Previously, a single fire truck reached P16 million,” Remulla said. “Through our cooperation and government-to-government transaction with South Korea, we brought this down to P10 million per fire truck.”

The DILG plans to acquire an additional 1,500 fire trucks and 800 mobility units to address equipment shortages and boost emergency response capabilities nationwide.

Remulla emphasized that government investments in emergency infrastructure must be matched by professional integrity among public safety personnel.