
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla conducts a surprise inspection of the Makati City Fire Station on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. — Photo from the DILG
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday relieved several officials of the Makati City Fire Station over their private vehicles being parked in its fire truck bay.
The department said in a statement that this happened after DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s surprise inspection of the fire station.
“Obstructions will cause a huge delay in responding to fires and other public safety emergencies where lives and properties are on the line,” Remulla was quoted in the statement.
The DILG did not specify how many officials were relieved or their respective ranks.
The department, however, did cite Republic Act 9514, or the Fire Code of the Philippines, which stipulates that bays for fire trucks and emergency response vehicles must be clear to prevent service disruptions.
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The Fire Code also states that the concerned Makati fire station officials may also face administrative sanctions for willful impropriety or gross negligence in the performance of their duty, the DILG added.
“To ensure clear egress routes of fire response assets, the DILG called on fire station chiefs to prohibit any parking in front of or near fire trucks and order the immediate removal of all unauthorized parked vehicles blocking fire response units,” the department stressed. /das