QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Former Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Chief Jesus Fernandez entered a “not guilty” plea on Friday before the Sandiganbayan Third Division regarding two counts of graft and two counts of indirect bribery.
The charges stem from the BFP’s alleged anomalous purchase of 132 ambulances valued at ₱485 million.
Investigations by the anti-graft tribunal revealed that Fernandez allegedly collected ₱14.75 million in illicit payouts under an institutionalized “standard operating procedure” or “SOP” arrangement.
The payments were made by Rosaverna Sangga, a representative of a joint venture contracted by the BFP, who reportedly handed over ₱10.752 million to Fernandez on November 21, 2024, and an additional ₱4 million on September 25, 2025.
The legal proceedings were initiated following a complaint lodged by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on the heels of a fact-finding inquiry conducted by the Task Force BFP Accountability into the procurement deal.
Fernandez was previously dismissed from public service by the Office of the Ombudsman, which found him administratively liable for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service in a related administrative ruling on the same transaction.
Apart from the cases pending before the Third Division, the former official continues to face additional graft charges before the anti-graft court’s Fourth and Sixth Divisions linked to the same procurement deal.