THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Thursday it would file a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against 45 active and former officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) over allegedly rigged firetruck procurements from 2018 to 2024. The respondents include former BFP chiefs Leonardo Bañago and Louie Puracan, suspended Fire Director Jesus Fernandez, members of the Bids and Awards Committee, the Technical Working Group, and the Technical Specifications Committee. Private suppliers Palmer Asia Inc. and F. Cura Industries, along with other individuals, will also be named in the complaint. The DILG said the officials tailored technical specifications to favor only the two suppliers. The complaint cited a dramatic rise in the cost of 1,000-gallon firetrucks — from P5.975 million per unit in 2014 to nearly P15 million in 2024 — without any documented market study or justification. There were also serious lapses in the procurement process, including missing official deliberations, failure of oversight bodies to independently review specifications, and pre-bid conferences that did not address bidders’ queries or issue necessary bid bulletins, the DILG said. The Bureau of Customs reportedly flagged the same suppliers for undervaluing import declarations by more than 30 percent and failing to present key financial documents during audits. The officials face administrative and criminal charges, including grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. In a media briefing, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla emphasized the stakes involved. “The lives of our fellow citizens should never be put at risk because of irregularities. Every procurement must be aboveboard, transparent, and anchored on the public interest,” he said. The DILG announcement came amid reports of a P900 million to P1 billion alleged bribery attempt tied to the BFP firetruck purchases. Remulla said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally warned him about the dangers of corruption. “You know that money from theft? You can’t feed that to your children,” Marcos reportedly said. “Karma will hit your kids. I would never, in my heart, feed my children money that came from this corruption.” Remulla, a father of five, said the president’s words reinforced his belief that personal ethics must come first, especially when family is involved. The DILG said it will strengthen internal controls and institutional safeguards in its attached agencies to prevent similar incidents and restore public trust.