BFP to CCMC : Leave Our Building

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama just laughed and ignored the demand of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) who told the medical personnel of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) to abandon their building along Natalio Bacalso Avenue.

BFP-7 Regional Director Ma. Luisa Hadjula criticized Rama for his move to take over the whole building of the Bureau of Fire Protection after the mayor conducted a meeting with the firemen while she was in Manila last October 18, three days after the earthquake.

During the meeting, Rama announced that he will use the BFP building as temporary hospital after the CCMC building was destroyed because of the 7.2 Magnitude quake that hit Bohol, Cebu and other parts of the region last October 15.

According to Hadjula the mayor’s actuation is considered unbecoming of an elected public official and a blatant show of disrespect to the Office of the Regional Director.

Rama said the city may file the necessary legal remedy before the court if the BFP officials would insist to stay the building that he wants to temporarily use as hospital pending the construction of a new medical facility.

The mayor had already transferred the Cebu City Fire Station to the Pari-an Station while he ordered that the BFP 7 be also transferred to Cebu City Sports Complex. “Dili man ni dayon, temporaryo ra ni,” Rama said.

But the BFP-7 officials refused to turn over all of their property to the CCMC upon the instruction of the BFP National Headquarters and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Hadjula argued that the area is no longer used for patients after the CCMC personnel had stopped accepting patients. When the earthquake occured, the hospital has about 200 patients but they were transferred to other private medical facilities.

As of now, the CCMC doctors refused yet to accept patients for admission while the electricians still continue to install electrical connections for the tent hospital. Hospital director Gloria Duterte said she will just follow the instruction of the mayor.