‘Disloyal’ fire official yanked out of Cebu City

AFTER serving less than four months as Cebu City Fire Marshal, Vonrad Dobluis was relieved from his post and was reassigned at the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) regional office.

“I was the chief legal officer of the NHQ (National Headquarters) then became Cebu City Fire Marshal. And now I’m in the regional director’s office. What do you think about that?” Dobluis asked.

Dobluis said he was reassigned by superiors in Manila after they were told that he was “disloyal” for failing to stand up for the BFP regional office in its lot dispute with Cebu City Hall.

He said his contacts at the BFP central office told him the reason for the reassignment was that BFP regional director Ma. Luisa Hadjula saw him as “disloyal.”

“It’s their view. As for me, I can’t just allow my men and the members of the BFP to be physically harmed. I don’t want any bloodshed to happen,” Dobluis said.

Confrontation

Hadjula figured in a confrontation with a Cebu City Hall team ordered by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to remove all equipment of the BFP regional office from its building near the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

The Cebu City government wanted to claim the building and lot occupied by the BFP and convert it into a city hospital after the CCMC sustained heavy damage from the Oct. 15 earthquake.

The bureau order re-assigning Dobluis was signed by Acting BFP director Carlito Romero last Nov. 13. “I will just be in the office,” Dobluis said. He was replaced by  Rogelio Bongabong Jr., formerly the fire marshal at Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The turnover ceremony was done yesterday at the BFP-7 compound which partly houses the CCMC makeshift hospital.

Friction

Bongabong’s post will be filled by Manases Bautista, municipal fire marshal of Panglao Fire Station, Bohol.

Geronides Gonzaga of the Tagbilaran City fire station was designated acting chief of the Panglao fire station.

Bongabong, who lives in Lahug, served as Tagbilaran City Fire Marshal for 15 months.

Prior to being assigned in Bohol, he also served as Mandaue City Fire Marshal for three years.

“It’s a big responsibility. Especially because there’s a problem between the father of the city and the mother of BFP-7,” Bongabong said in reference to his new post and the friction between the BFP and Cebu City Hall due to the lot dispute.

Rama said he declined to meet Bongabong because of his displeasure over the replacement of Dobluis.