Firefighters' group asks Bureau of Fire Protection execs to probe red tape

MANILA, Philippines - A group of firefighters asked Bureau of Fire Protection officials yesterday to investigate a unit of the BFP for allegedly imposing layers of bureaucratic red tape in the processing and release of benefits due them.

“There is a need for the BFP to investigate why so many requirements are imposed by the BFP’s Benefits Assistance Unit (BAU),” said Foundation for Filipino Fire Fighters (F5) chairman and president Van Resurreccion said.

The F5 is a Caloocan City-based organization of active and retired firemen, professionals and non-government groups advocating safety consciousness. Resurreccion said they have 250,000 members all over the country.

He said these layers of red tape have resulted in long delays in the processing of their members’ terminal leave benefits.

To make matters worse, Resurreccion told The STAR the BFP has allegedly totally stopped processing legitimate claims of some F5 members last week.

He said many of their members are still waiting for compensation due them, particularly terminal leave benefits, as far back as two years ago.

Some of their members are suffering from life-threatening illnesses, according to Resurreccion, and their group “can’t wait for our members to die before they are given what is under the law is already theirs.”

He said these benefits are usually paid to the employee based only on two documents: a BFP order terminating the employee’s service (by reason of retirement, dismissal, resignation or death) and the official computation showing the amount due him.

Resurreccion alleged that “for some doubtful reasons” the BFP-BAU requires 20 clearances or certifications from firefighters seeking their benefits. He added the extra requirements imposed by the BAU do not conform with Civil Service Commission (CSC) policy, and are “known to provide opportunities for corruption.”

He said CSC rules state that terminal leave benefits already belong to the employee-applicant since this represents the “total money value of the unused paid vacation and sick leaves that accumulated during the period of his employment with the BFP.”

Resurreccion gave credit to CSC director Adoracion Arenas, who is assigned to the Department of Interior and Local Government field office, for promptly acting on the problem.

However, he said Arenas’ questions failed to elicit a definite answer from the BFP. “We want clear and definite guidelines from the BFP that conform with CSC policies,” Resurreccion said.