Firing a Man Who Partly Smothered a Corrupt Practice in the Fire Bureau
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I am saddened by this replacement despite the Aug. 23 hostage taking incident because people who are neither in the construction business nor in building administration are not aware that one of Robredo's first acts as secretary was the suspension of the FALAR. The FALAR, or Fire and Life Safety Assessment Report has been a headache for building administrators who are trying to honestly comply with the requirements of the Bureau of Fire. This report has been an instrument for corruption by bureau personnel.
Along with the suspension of the FALAR, Robredo also zoomed in on the unlawful practice of fire officials who are selling fire extinguishers in exchange for the processing of Fire Safety Inspection Certificates (FSICS). FSICS is a major requirement in the issuance of business permits and building permits. Here is one tool that the Bureau of Fire personnel have been using to twist the arms of construction companies, building administrators and business owners.
Here's the formula:
No FALAR => No FSIC => No Business Permit => No business (or no building permit or permit to occupy, etc.)
So what will a businessman or administrator resort to? Give in to conditions set by greedy Fire Bureau personnel.
If you are into building administration and are not aware of this or have not encountered any problems in processing these requirements then you may have been unwittingly following unlawful practices of the Bureau of Fire personnel and officers.
This news report from the DILG itself admits "reports" of such unlawful practices. Secretary Robredo did something about it. Now he is about to leave the department and will be asked by P-Noy to focus on urban informal settlers.
I hope the removal of Robredo from the DILG will not be an opportunity for greedy officers to reinstate their old corruption tools.
Read this wiki on the qualifications of Jesse Robredo.
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