EDITORIAL - Fatal red tape

Earlier this year, local government officials of Valenzuela called the nation’s attention to the slowness in inspections for the issuance of fire safety certificates conducted by the Bureau of Fire Protection. The slow pace, Valenzuela officials said, prompted the late Jesse Robredo, when he headed the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which has jurisdiction over the BSP, to issue a joint circular with the Department of Trade and Industry allowing local governments to issue business permits ahead of the fire safety certificates.

The issue was raised after Valenzuela government officials faced charges for issuing business permits ahead of the fire safety certificate to the Kentex slipper manufacturing plant where over 70 people were killed in a conflagration last May.

It turns out the BFP has been slow not only in conducting inspections and issuing fire safety papers, but also in procuring sufficient trucks and equipment for its firefighters and constructing fire stations. This is according to a Commission on Audit report, which blamed the complicated procurement process in the DILG. Worse, the COA said the process is not even in compliance with the Procurement Law or Republic Act 9184.

Among the projects derailed last year by the snail-paced procedures were the procurement of 469 fire trucks, construction and renovation of 516 fire stations, and procurement of self-contained breathing apparatus and other protective gear. The COA noted that 426 of the country’s 1,634 cities and municipalities still have no fire stations. Of the BFP’s 1,824 fire trucks, 134 have been deemed unserviceable while 64 are beyond repair.

The COA also reported that the BFP has given P12.399 million in pension benefits to 150 dead retirees. Although the reason could be mainly the late submission of death certificates, the payments could have been avoided through judicious record updating. Those responsible could face criminal charges.

For too long, the nation has suffered the deadly and destructive consequences of inadequate firefighting capability. The Kentex tragedy was just the latest in a lengthy list of conflagrations that claimed scores of lives. The lack of adequate tools and protective gear has prevented firefighters from wading into fires and thick smoke to rescue trapped persons or putting out blazes quickly to save lives and property.

Timely response is of the essence in any rescue, but the lack of proper equipment often prevents firefighters from saving lives, homes and office buildings. It’s a disgrace that the problem can be attributed to red tape self-imposed by the DILG.