The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) arrested one of its personnel for allegedly being involved in a P500,000 ‘slot-for-sale’ recruitment scam that promised entry into the bureau, the BFP said Tuesday.
The BFP, with the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), arrested the suspect during an entrapment operation after a series of meetings involving money exchanges between the victim and the suspect.
The suspect was caught after an initial meeting with the victim, during which he showed a BFP ID and claimed to have offered slots in other regions for a price, later demanding a P500,000 fee.
The victim initially agreed to give the suspect P300,000 as partial payment. This led to an entrapment operation in which CIDG and BFP operatives caught the suspect on site during the exchange of the remaining money.
The incident stemmed from the victim reporting that the suspect had contacted them through a fake Facebook account.
According to BFP officer-in-charge Fire Chief Superintendent Wilberto Rico Neil Kwan Tiu, the bureau condemns corruption in its ranks and remains dedicated to its strict and fair hiring processes.
‘We will ensure anyone who exploits our aspiring applicants will face the law. … We will hold our personnel accountable for their actions,’ he said.
The BFP reminded applicants that entry to the bureau is strictly based on merit and fitness, not on payment.
The bureau conducts its anti-extortion campaign covering recruitment, promotions and transfers through ‘Oplan Santindig’ to ensure integrity within its ranks and the application process.