Fire bureau under fire from Mayor Binay

Can it stand this kind of heat?

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) came under fire Friday from Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., who said investors had been blaming the agency for delays in their application for business permits.

According to Binay, the BFP has added “a layer of red tape” as the newly designated assessor of tax dues and other fees under the Fire Code, requirements that businessmen must meet before securing permits from the local government.

The Vice President’s son— who recently made headlines over an incident with security guards of an upscale subdivision in his city—spoke critically of the BFP, one of the agencies under the interior department headed by Mar Roxas, Binay Sr.’s chief rival in the 2010 elections.

“There are long lines. The processing is slow and tedious. This is not the way to attract investors,” the mayor said.

“Makati and other local government units have been taking steps to support the national government’s program to cut down processing time for business permits.  But we have here a national government agency burdening investors by adding a layer of red tape.”

Starting this year, the assessment and payment of Fire Code taxes and fees are no longer handled by the city business permit office but by BFP personnel, who in Makati work in a separate area at city hall.

Binay said the fire bureau had not been up to task so far. “My office has been receiving reports from the business community that some BFP personnel are using the Fire Code to coerce businesses into buying fire extinguishers and sprinklers from fire personnel themselves.  No wonder businessmen feel that corruption has worsened.”

“What the BFP is doing is counterproductive and undermines the Aquino administration’s goal of making our country more attractive to investors.  It is disappointing that one national government agency can throw a roadblock on our President’s program,” he said.

Reached for comment, Makati Fire Marshall Ricardo Perdigon appealed for patience and understanding.

Perdigon said it was the first time for the BFP to handle such tasks, noting that the change was being implemented nationwide.

“We are still processing it manually, as opposed to the local government units who may already have computerized systems for it,” he said, adding that BFP Makati would soon computerize the processing system.

Perdigon admitted that his office was overwhelmed by the increase in business permit applications and renewals, which usually pile up in January.

As to the complaints of extortion involving BFP personnel, he urged building administrators to put them “in black and white.”

Last year, his office received a complaint about fire inspectors who turned out to be impostors. A court case was later filed, he recalled.

BFP director Chief Supt. Carlito Romero also asked Makati businessmen to send him their complaints. “I really don’t know about this problem yet … but I will look into it.”

“We won’t tolerate accusations like that. Once we get a basis for the complaints, we will investigate and ask our personnel accused of wrongdoing to explain their side and then we will make a decision,” Romero said.

As to complaints regarding the assessment process, the official said “I have to know the basis why the issuance is slow. We follow a procedure. We need to know if this is an isolated case or if it’s prevalent.” With a report from Nikko Dizon