ILOILO – Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) need not be armed unless they augment law enforcers, according to some local chief executives (LCEs) in this province.
They were reacting to the BFP Modernization Bill that has a provision authorizing some fire bureau personnel to carry firearms.
“Daw wala man sila (BFP personnel) naga-(respond) sa crimes,” said Miagao’s Mayor Macario Napulan in an interview with Panay News. “(They’re) more on rescue operations and fire prevention.”
“Daw indi man necessary guro unless himuon sila additional force for (prevention) sang krimen,” added Napulan.
Bingawan’s Mayor Mark Palabrica, meanwhile, welcomed the move.
“Kon sa akon lang dapat gid. Kon kaisa mag-responder sa fire budlay man, kis-a ginapahug man iban sang tawo tapos kon kis-a unahon nila ang ila balay, kis-a gina-agaw pa ang hose so makabulig gid man,” Palabrica said.
Mayor Jaime Esmeralda of Igbaras echoed Palabrica.
“Kon tagaan armas ang mga bombero they could augment sa pagpaluntad sang peace and order sang isa ka banwa,” said Esmeralda.
The BFP Modernization Bill is now awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature. Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, the author, said it was “borne out of a request from Malacañang and from President Duterte.”
The three mayors agreed that when approved, it’s better to have the firemen trained and examined prior to using the guns.
Meanwhile, Mayor Ronilo Caspe of Cabatuan said he’s not in favor of arming firemen.
“Kon may armas ang bombero samtang naga-firefighting sanda basi bala may tendency nga mahulog, madula or maagaw,” Caspe told Panay News.
“Ang pagpatay sang sunog indi kinahanglan nga palukpan,” he added.
Caspe said the only concern in firefighting is when residents wrangle over the firemen’s hose.
But the mayor has a suggestion.
He said, “Sample sa akon banwa, ang tanan nga mga tanod ready and na-seminar sa different disasters. So, may mga assignments ang akon tanod and responders sa barangay, example sa sunog. Sin-o ang grupo nga mabulig sa firefighting? Sin-o ang grupo nga mabulig sa traffic management tapos sin-o grupo ang sa security? Bali ang kada tanod may kanya-kanya sila nga role para indi mag-agaway.”
On the other hand, Santa Barbara’s Mayor Rema Somo also had the same reaction.
“Ang sa akon daw indi gid man makaabot sa punto nga mag-ano kita sang armas. After all, daw wala sang may natabo, although ang nahibaluan ko nga may ara nga mga pamilya nga nasunogan nga kon kaisa naagaw nila sa bombero ang hose pero indi naman siguro nga mag-abot sa punto nga mag-inaway. So, indi ako pabor nga magtaklos pa sila sang ila mga pusil,” said Somo./PN
