BFP not leaving building

CEBU, Philippines - Despite the earlier announcement by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama that the fire department compound will temporarily house the Cebu City Medical Center, Bureau of Fire Protection national office has ordered its local offices to stay put.

A memorandum was issued last Thursday by BFP OIC Chief Supt. Carlito Romero telling its Central Visayas office personnel not to vacate their existing fire station.

“You are hereby directed to stay on your post and continue to perform your duties and responsibilities as firefighters until further advice from the Office of the DILG upon proper consultation in connection therewith,” the memorandum read.

To accommodate patients from da-maged CCMC, Rama earlier said the City Fire Department shall be temporarily transferred to the Parian fire substation, while the regional office at the Cebu City Sports Center so that the fire department can be maximized as the temporary city hospital.

With this, regional fire department legal officer Karlo Benito Cruz said their hands are tied and must heed the order gi-ven by their highest official.

“Under po kami ng DILG, susunod po kami sa order ng fire chief. As of the moment, yun po ang aming gagawin. We are not challenging the city government. In fact, our personnel were among those who helped transfer the patients from CCMC to our ground floor,” Cruz said.

He said that the City Fire Department already gave way and transferred to Parian so the ground floor can used for city hospital patients.

The regional office is occupying the second level of the BFP building in a lot adjacent to the damaged CCMC building.

“We understand the position of the mayor that this is a time of calamity and sacrificing. Nag-give way na po kami. Willing naman kami mag-share sa building. Wag naman pong buo because we have important things here like our personnel files, medical and dental services, as well as our internal COA. Hindi naman po siguro magandang ma-displace kami,” Cruz explained.

He said he believes the sports complex cannot accommodate the regional office since they have 70 personnel in all.

The regional BFP legal officer, how-ever, said that they are willing to vacate the building should the city government secure an order from either DILG Secretary Mar Roxas or Romero, adding that they did not receive a written order from the mayor ordering the transfer of fire department offices other than a verbal one.

Cruz said that the city interior and local government office is in communication with the city government regarding the transfer of offices to make way for the temporary operations of the city hospital.

Rama said the national government “should be more helping” than add to the problems that calamity stricken local go-vernment unit is facing.

“Kinsa man diay magtinabangay? Diba kita ra man nga naa sa gobyerno? Sakripisyo sa ta karon. Di lagi ta mo biyaan. I am not saying this is permanent, this is temporary. They do not have to worry, especially with the space for their trucks. We will have that attended to,” Rama told reporters, adding that he does not even want to read the memo from BFP chief.

Rama had a closed-door meeting with Cruz yesterday afternoon to discuss the issue.

CCMC had a total of 43 patients as of 8 a.m. yesterday from 72 the previous day. Existing admission is composed of seven infants, one senior citizen and 35 others with ages ranging from two to 59.

Six patients have been transferred from CCMC to other hospitals while 22 others have been discharged. —/BRP (FREEMAN)