BFP personnel tagged in alleged recruitment extortion scam arrested in Pangasinan
By Chito Chavez
A fire officer allegedly involved in the illegal recruitment scam was nabbed following the complaint of a female applicant during an entrapment operation in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.
The 35-year old suspect, who holds the position of Fire Officer 3 (FO3) and is currently assigned at the Candon City Fire Station , was collared by the police and BFP operatives during the February 6 sting operation at a local establishment in Barangay Rizal.
In a formal complaint, the 28-year old victim claimed that the fire officer supposedly received a total of P90,000 for her with the promise of a guaranteed slot in the BFP Region 1 Office.
Despite fulfilling all requirements, the victim was never enlisted with the suspect agreeing to return a portion of the money amounting to P30,000, “which led to the coordinated intervention by police and BFP intelligence units.’’
Following the operation, authorities recovered 30 pieces of P1,000 bills from the suspect, which served as vital evidence for the illegal recruitment process.
BFP Chief Jesus Fernandez. called on the public to come forward and report similar illegal recruitment schemes to help weed out the scalawags in the bureau, as he emphasized that applicants are not required to pay to gain entry in the BFP as recruitment is strictly based on merit and fitness.