MANILA, Philippines – Newly appointed Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secretary Nestor Quinsay Jr vowed to implement in the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte “to stop corruption and to give better services for our Filipino people.”

Quinsay told Rappler after a closed-door meeting with BFP officials that he first plans to do this by improving the promotion system of the BFP.

In his proposed system, BFP officers who are vying for positions no longer need to be screened by the DILG. Top officials of the bureau would be the ones who will screen, monitor, and decide.

BFP Director Bobby Baruelo likened it to the system of the Philippine National Police (PNP), adding that it will make supervising their units easier.

Quinsay also said he plans to seek amendments to the Fire Code of the Philippines which was last updated in 2008. According to Baruelo, it will be updated to address “new problems.” They did not specify, however, what these problems are.

Quinsay also committed to helping the BFP with the procurement of equipment for the bureau. For Baruelo, this is the best assistance that Quinsay could give since the BFP is heavily underequipped.

In Quezon City alone, 2.94 million residents need at least 1,470 fire officers, but the Quezon City Fire District only has 398. (READ: QC firefighters fight fire underequipped, undermanned)

Baruelo said the issue is that their transactions are always slowed down by “legal impediments” and controversies.

For one, former interior secretary Ismael Sueno had been fired because of the controversial Rosenbauer firetrucks bought from Austria.

“I hope that he (Quinsay) sheds light on the issues so that the equipment that should be given to us arrive [soon],” Baruelo said.

Not entirely new

Even though he will be overseeing the BFP for the first time, Quinsay is not entirely inexperienced.

A former intelligence chief of the PNP, he retired from the police force in February 2016. Duterte appointed him to the DILG a week ago.

Quinsay told Rappler that he dealt with disasters during his years as a police chief inspector. In 1997, he was named regional director of the Regional Mobile Group, now the Regional Public Safety Battalion, which is assigned “to conduct internal security and anti-terrorism operations, [to] respond to crisis situations, [and to] conduct rescue and relief operations anywhere in the region and outside the region when needed.”

He added that there are familiar faces at the BFP National Headquarters – fire officers who used to be cops, too.

Baruelo is confident Quinsay can oversee the BFP well.

“Maybe noong panahon niya ay more on police matters… Ngayon naman konting adjustments lang ‘yan kasi ang importante diyan ‘yung management [style],” the BFP chief said.

(He used to focus on police matters before, but he only needs a few adjustments now since what’s important is his management style.) – Rappler.com