THERE is a noticeable shift in the tone of Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla. Gone is the cautious bureaucrat; in his place stands a combatant openly naming corruption without fear or filter.
His explosive declaration against the Bureau of Fire Protection — branding it as more corrupt than the Philippine National Police and threatening the removal of up to 20 officials including its director — has placed him at the center of quad media attention.
This posture sends a clear message: corruption will no longer be managed quietly; it will be confronted publicly and decisively.
That same resolve must now be directed at the PNP, particularly in CALABARZON, where illegal “paihi” fuel operations continue to thrive in plain sight.
PNP Acting Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio “Tateng” Nartatez Jr. has already issued a stern warning on command responsibility, accountability and zero tolerance for misconduct.
Yet on the ground, nothing has changed. The same operators, the same locations, and the same illegal trade persist — suggesting not ignorance, but tolerance.
When criminal enterprises operate repeatedly and confidently, it raises the inevitable question: who is protecting whom?
As DILG Secretary, Jonvic Remulla has both the authority and the obligation to act.
This means ordering an immediate, independent audit of Police Regional Office 4A, relieving commanders who have failed to suppress paihi operations, and endorsing criminal and administrative cases where evidence warrants.
More importantly, it means enforcing sustained operations — not media-friendly raids that fade after the cameras leave.
If BFP officials can be publicly named and threatened with dismissal, then police generals and provincial directors cannot remain untouchable simply because they wear stars.
Jonvic’s credibility as an anti-corruption crusader will ultimately be measured by consistency. The war mood he has ignited cannot stop at one agency. CALABARZON’s paihi operations are a litmus test of whether command responsibility is real or rhetorical.
If the DILG secretary truly intends to cleanse the system, then PRO4A must feel the same pressure now being felt by the BFP. Anything less will reduce bold words into hollow noise — and embolden corruption to fight another day.
