CHR warns arming firefighters 'might cause more harm than good’

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights on Friday aired its concern over a provision in a bill that would authorize over 2,000 firefighters across the country to carry guns. 

The bicameral version of the bill seeking to modernize the Bureau of Fire Protection cleared the Senate on August 4 and is now up for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature. Its sponsor in the upper chamber, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, said a total of 2,282 firefighters would be authorized to carry guns if the measure is enacted. 

"Arming firemen will not contain fires nor can it enhance the efficiency of the firefighters' performance of their duties and functions," CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement. 

"However, such challenges can be addressed by using the budget for the purchasing of guns to buy more firetrucks, hire more firemen, and build more fire stations to respond adequately to residential and non-residential fires." 

Dela Rosa last week told senators that creating a Security and Protection Unit of the BFP in each city and municipality would serve to protect firefighters when faced with "unruly" people while on duty.

Citing the experience of Sens. Sherwin Gatchalian and Francis Tolentino who were previously city mayors, Dela Rosa said situations tend to escalate in "squatters' area[s]" where houses are close together and people want their houses to be saved first. 

But rather than addressing such situations by arming members of the proposed SPU, De Guia suggested: "If there are sufficient firetrucks and firefighters, civilians....will not fight over [or] grab the water hoses to contain fire in their houses and properties." 

"[CHR] shares the concern of the proponents in ensuring the security of our firefighters. CHR also believes that firefighters deserve equal protection in the performance of their mandate," she also said. "However, in extremely tense situations, such as fire in communities, bearing arms might cause more harm than good."

Senators in June rejected a motion to ratify an earlier version of the bicameral conference committee report after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon uncovered that the same contentious provision arming firefighters was inserted despite being thumbed down in the Senate. 

However, after Duterte again named it as a priority measure at his final State of the Nation Address, it passed in the upper chamber anyway with a majority of 14 senators voting in favor.  

Carrying guns 'tangential' to BFP's role 

De Guia further emphasized the BFP's mandate "is to prevent and suppress all destructive fires towards saving lives and properties," noting that "authorizing more than 2,000 firefighters to carry guns is tangential to this role."  

BFP modernization, she added, should ultimately be geared toward improving the department's presence, capacity, and delivery of its duty.

"Providing security in the community is the mandate of law enforcement officers, which the BFP may request from the Philippine National Police based on the Fire Code of the Philippines," De Guia said.  

She added that other hindrances to addressing fire incidents such as road congestion which delays firefighters and lacking enforcement of the Fire Code should be addressed by the government as well. 

"It is the policy of the State to ensure public safety and allow citizens to reach their fullest potentials in life by mitigating barriers, such as destructive fires," De Guia said. "To this end, we urge the government to look deeper into the challenges of upholding this duty to find better match solutions to problems." — Bella Perez-Rubio