PRESS RELEASE
03 SEPTEMBER 2026
OMB dismisses BFP Chief; files graft and bribery charges over ₱485.6-M ambulance procurement
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan against former Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Fire Director Jesus P. Fernandez and a private individual in connection with the procurement of 132 ambulances worth ₱485 million.
The Ombudsman found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to charge Fernandez with 2 counts of Indirect Bribery and 2 counts of violation of Section 3(b) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The charges stem from a complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) following a fact-finding investigation by Task Force BFP Accountability into the procurement of 132 units of Type 1 Basic Life Support ambulances.
The contract was awarded to Toyota Mabolo, which entered into a joint venture with Autozone Prime Distributors, Inc. for the project.
The designated representative of the joint venture Rosaverna P. Sangga, also known as Rosaverna Palairon Sangga, was also charged with two counts of Corruption of Public Officials under Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code.
According to the Ombudsman investigation, Fernandez, who was then the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairperson, allegedly received a total of ₱14.752 million from Sangga.
“Sangga delivered Ten Million Seven Hundred Fifty-Two Thousand Pesos (Php10,752,000.00) on 21 November 2024, and Four Million Pesos (Php4,000,000.00) on 25 September 2025 to FDir. Fernandez,” the ruling stated.
In a separate administrative case arising from the same transaction, the Ombudsman found Fernandez guilty of Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and Grave Misconduct.
This carries the penalty of dismissal from the service, including cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from reemployment in government service.
The administrative decision found that Fernandez’s receipt of the money was incompatible with his responsibilities as BFP chief and BAC chairperson and undermined the integrity expected of his office.
“He is not merely an officer of the BFP. He is the Fire Chief of the agency. He was the BAC Chairman when he received the SOP on 21 November 2024 and the Head of the Procuring Entity when he received the second SOP on 25 September 2025,” the ruling said.
The Decision further stated that “receiving any gift, compensation, promise, or consideration from any individual in relation to his position gives the appearance of impropriety, which does not only bring doubt to his credibility but significantly tarnishes the credibility of the agency that he leads, in this case, especially in the process of procurement.”#