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Camp Crame

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Coordinates:14°36′32.86″N121°3′11.57″E/ 14.6091278°N 121.0532139°E/14.6091278; 121.0532139
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Camp General Rafael T. Crame
Kampo Heneral Rafael T. Crame(Filipino)
Main Office Building
Map
General information
AddressEpifanio de los Santos Avenue
Town or cityQuezon City
CountryPhilippines
Coordinates14°36′32.86″N121°3′11.57″E/ 14.6091278°N 121.0532139°E/14.6091278; 121.0532139
Current tenantsPhilippine National Police
Named forRafael Cramé

Camp General Rafael T. Crame(Tagalog:[ˈkramɛ]) is the nationalheadquartersof thePhilippine National Police(PNP) located alongEpifanio de los Santos Avenue(EDSA) inQuezon City.It is situated across EDSA fromCamp Aguinaldo,the national headquarters of theArmed Forces of the Philippines(AFP). Prior to the establishment of the civilian PNP, Camp Crame was the national headquarters of thePhilippine Constabulary,agendarmerie-type military police force which was the PNP's predecessor.

Camp Crame was named after the first Filipino chief of the Philippine Constabulary, Brigadier GeneralRafael Crame.

History

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The blue-roofed Philippine National Police, Camp Crame buildings as viewed from theSantolan - Annapolis station.

Establishment

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In 1935, the Philippine Constabulary struck a deal with the City Government ofManilato exchange its Gagalangin barracks compound inTondo(now the site ofFlorentino Torres High School) for a large tract of land in the New Manila Heights, which was then part ofSan Juan,Rizal.Part of this tract became Camp Crame, Camp Murphy (nowCamp Aguinaldo), and Zablan Field, site the Philippine Constabulary Air Corps (PCAC, now Barangay White Plains in Quezon City).[1][2]The camp was later transferred to the jurisdiction ofQuezon Cityin 1941,[3][4]and briefly became part of theCity of Greater Manila,resulting from Quezon City's merger with Manila and several Rizal towns, from 1942 to 1945.[5][6]

Camp Crame was named after Brigadier GeneralRafael Crame,[7]who served as the appointed first Filipino Chief of the Philippine Constabulary from 1917 to 1927.[1]

Pre-independence years

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The Philippine Constabulary was reorganized numerous times during the Philippines' commonwealth era, being dissolved and reconstituted as the nucleus of the Philippine Army at one point, and then reestablished as a police unit under the Army when the Commonwealth's new state police proved too difficult to manage and had to be dissolved.[1]

Camp Crame was where the PC's General Strike Force was organized under Brig. Gen.Guillermo Franciscoin 1939.[citation needed]

Philippine Constabulary Headquarters

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After World War II, Camp Crame was used as the headquarters of the Philippine Constabulary, which service command was then considered part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).[citation needed]

During the Marcos regime

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Main articles:Martial law under Ferdinand MarcosandHuman rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship

As the headquarters of the Philippine Constabulary, Camp Crame became the site of five of the Marcos regime's most infamous detention facilities forpolitical prisoners:the Men's Detention Center; the Women's Detention Center, the PC (Philippine Constabulary) Stockade; the MetroCom (Metropolitan Command) Detention Area; and the CIS (Criminal Investigation Service) Detenton Area.[8]

In the hours just before Martial Law was officially announced on the evening of September 23, 1972, the Camp Crame Gymnasium became the site where the first hundred or so political prisoners - those caught from a list of about 400 journalists, educators, politicians, and others on a list of “National List of Target Personalities” who were labeled "subversives" because they had openly criticized Ferdinand Marcos - were brought before they were moved to other facilities such as Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija or the various detention centers in Fort Bonifacio. The prisoners brought to Camp Crame included former President Sergio Osmeña's sonSergio Osmeña III,SenatorsSoc RodrigoandRamon Mitra,businessmanEugenio Lopez Jr.,teacherEtta Rosales,lawyerHaydee Yorac,[9]and a plethora of writers and broadcasters includingAmando Doronilaof theDaily Mirror,Luis Mauricio of thePhilippine Graphic,Teodoro Locsin Sr.of thePhilippines Free Press,Rolando Fadul ofTaliba,Robert Ordoñez of thePhilippine Herald,Rosalinda Galang of theManila Times;Ernesto Granada of theManila Chronicle,Maximo Solivenof theManila Times,andLuis BeltranandRuben Cusipagof theEvening News.These early detainees even included eleven opposition delegates from the 1971 Constitutional Convention, includingHeherson Alvarez,Alejandro Lichuaco, Voltaire Garcia,Teofisto Guingona Jr.,Philippines Free Press associate editorNapoleon Rama,and broadcasterJose Mari Velez.[10]The Gymnasium facilities were later used as a permanent detention facility, known as the Men's Detention Center.[8]

The PC Stockade is noted as the place where the first death of a student while under government detention took place:Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng MaynilaCommunication Arts studentLiliosa Hilao,who had beenbrutally torturedbefore she died.[11]

Others who were detained in Camp Crame at different times during the Marcos dictatorship were writers Luis R. Mauricio andNinotchka Rosca,Obet Verzola, Dolores Stephens Feria,Boni Ilagan,andPete Lacaba,among others.[12][13][14]

Numerous political prisoners were documented to have beentorturedduring their detention in Camp Crame, evidence of which was gathered by volunteers by the Roman Catholic Church-establishedTask Force Detainees of the Philippinesand then reported to international human rights agencies such asAmnesty International.[12][15]

Camp Crame was also the site of the Command for the Administration of Detainees (CAD), headed by PC ChiefFidel V. Ramos,which was the agency in charge of giving orders for the arrest and detention of the Marcos regime's political prisoners.[16]

Role in the People Power revolution

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Main articles:People Power RevolutionandTimeline of the People Power Revolution

Camp Crame later became one of the rallying points of people during thePeople Power revolutionof 1986.

In February 1986, reports of election fraud during the1986 Philippine presidential electioncaused unrest among Filipinos and saw the organization of various protest activities, including the massive Tagumpay Ng Bayan rally atRizal Parkon February 16, 1986, and a systematic boycott of products and companies associated with Marcos and his cronies. Hoping to take advantage of the disarray, theReform the Armed Forces Movement(RAM) under then-Defense SecretaryJuan Ponce Enrileattempted to stage a coup, and took overCamp Aguinaldo.

After he learned that Marcos' forces had uncovered the coup plot, Enrile invited PC ChiefFidel V. Ramosto join their cause and withdraw support from Marcos. Ramos agreed, and the two held a press conference to that effect in Camp Aguinaldo, after Ramos returned to Camp Crame, and Enrile Stayed in Camp Aguinaldo.[17][18]

When CardinalJaime Sinlearned about Enrile and Ramos' predicament, he went on air throughRadio Veritasand appealed to Filipinos near Camps Aguinaldo and Crame to go to the stretch ofEDSAin between the two camps, forming a human shield to prevent Marcos' forces from coming down hard on the coup plotters.[19]

Marcos ordered the Philippine Air Force’s 15th Strike Wing, commanded by Colonel Antonio Sotelo, to neutralize the helicopters in Camp Crame. Instead of launching an airstrike, Sotelo and his men defected, bringing their helicopters and planes over to join Ramos' forces in Camp Crame.[20]

Eventually Enrile and Ramos decided to consolidate their forces in Camp Aguinaldo, with the crowd gathered at EDSA creating a protective wall for Enrile's forces to leave Camp Aguinaldo and cross EDSA to get to join Ramos' forces in Camp Crame.[19]

This began a series of events which saw Marcos thrown out of the country,Corazon Aquinoinstalled as president of a Revolutionary Government, the coup plotters able to walk out of Camp Crame unscathed, and Marcos forced into exile inHawaii.[citation needed]

Philippine National Police Headquarters

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Camp Crame aerial view

Today, the camp serves as the headquarters of the Philippine National Police, the force established in 1991 as an entity separate from the AFP; despite the separation, however, the titles to the land on which Camp Crame stands were turned over to the PNP by the AFP only in July 2008.[citation needed]

The camp's office buildings.

Custodial Center

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Camp Crame host the PNP Custodial Center which serves as a detainment facility for high profile suspects.[21]Several high-profile personalities have been detained at Camp Crame in recent years, among them deposed PresidentJoseph Estrada.The ongoing trial for theMaguindanao Massacreis also held in a courtroom inside the camp, where primary suspectDatu UnsaymayorAndal Ampatuan Jr.is being detained. Australian Muslim preacherMusa Cerantoniowas held here at one point during his deportation from the Philippines.[22]Former SenatorLeila de Limawas also detained here from 2017 to 2023, charged with allegedly taking bribes from drug dealers.[23]DismissedBambanmayorAlice Guo,who is facing charges related to her alleged links with thePhilippine Offshore Gaming Operator(POGO), was also detained here in September 2024.[24][25]

As of September 2024, pastorApollo Quiboloyis detained here for charges regarding child and sexual abuse offenses.[26][27][28]

Renovations

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The camp is currently undergoing renovation, starting with the renovation of the PNP Multipurpose Hall and the camp's swimming pool. There are also plans for the construction of a multi-storey building along theEDSAside of the camp to house the administrative offices of the PNP, as well as condominium buildings and commercial establishments for the general public.[29]

Recognition

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In April 2011, the post was recognized by theNational Historical Commission;a marker was placed on the facility with the presence of former PresidentFidel Ramos.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^abcPeña, Ambrosio P. (1967).Bataan's Own.2d Regular Division Association.
  2. ^PacificWrecks.com."Pacific Wrecks - Zablan Field (Camp Murphy Airfield, Manila East Airfield) NRC Luzon Philippines".pacificwrecks.com.RetrievedOctober 20,2022.
  3. ^Pante, Michael D. (February 2017)."Quezon's City: Corruption and contradiction in Manila's prewar suburbia, 1935–1941"(PDF).Cambridge.org.RetrievedJuly 24,2021.
  4. ^Commonwealth Act No. 659 (June 21, 1941),An act to amend sections two, three, twelve, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-four, and twenty-seven of Commonwealth Act numbered five hundred and two, and inserting new sections therein, to be known as sections thirteen-A, twenty-one-A, twenty-one-B, twenty-one-C, twenty-one-D, twenty-one-E, twenty-one-F, A and twenty-one-G,Chan Robles Virtual Law Library,retrievedFebruary 21,2024
  5. ^Executive Order No. 400, s. 1942 (January 1, 1942),Creating the City of Greater Manila,Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines,archived fromthe originalon July 1, 2022,retrievedAugust 24,2022
  6. ^Executive Order No. 58, s. 1945 (July 25, 1945),Reducing the Territory of the City of Greater Manila,Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines,archived fromthe originalon March 8, 2023,retrievedAugust 24,2022
  7. ^"Rafael Crame".
  8. ^abAguila, Concepcion (December 1974)."Detention camp: Manila".Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars.6(4): 39–42.doi:10.1080/14672715.1974.10413006.ISSN0007-4810.
  9. ^de Villa, Kathleen (September 22, 2018)."Remnants of a dark era".RetrievedOctober 19,2022.
  10. ^"Martial Law".GMA News Online.Archivedfrom the original on February 17, 2009.RetrievedJune 7,2018.
  11. ^Pedroso, Kate; Medina, Marielle (September 2015)."Liliosa Hilao: First Martial Law detainee killed".
  12. ^abMatsuzawa, Mikas."The era of impunity".newslab.philstar.com | 31 years of amnesia.RetrievedOctober 20,2022.
  13. ^Maglipon, Jo-Ann Q."Martial Law Stories: Remembering".Positively Filipino.RetrievedOctober 20,2022.
  14. ^Olea, Ronalyn V. (September 23, 2020)."How the mosquito press fought the disinformation under Marcos*".RetrievedOctober 19,2022.
  15. ^"Amnesty International Mission Reports during Martial Law in the Philippines - Amnesty International Philippines".www.amnesty.org.ph.Archived fromthe originalon June 12, 2017.
  16. ^Teodoro, Luis (January 28, 2021)."Counterproductive".BusinessWorld.Archivedfrom the original on July 16, 2022.RetrievedAugust 3,2022.
  17. ^Cal, Ben (February 22, 2018)."Remembering People Power 32 years ago".Philippine News Agency.
  18. ^Rafael, Vicente (February 25, 2016)."What was Edsa?".Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  19. ^ab"People Power Revolution Timeline, Feb. 23, 1986, Day Two".Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 23, 2014.
  20. ^Cal, Ben (February 24, 2019)."Turning point of historic 1986 People Power Revolution recalled".Philippine News Agency.
  21. ^Ramos, Marlon (May 15, 2014)."Police free up Crame jail for 'VIP' prisoners".Philippine Daily Inquirer.RetrievedNovember 8,2021.
  22. ^"'He's no terrorist. He's a preacher who blogs'".Cebu Daily News. July 13, 2014.
  23. ^Felipe Villamor, "Imprisoned and Fearful,DuterteCritic Speaks Out ",New York Times,March 25, 2017, p. A8.
  24. ^"Valenzuela court resets Alice Guo arraignment to Sept. 30".ABS-CBN News. September 20, 2024.RetrievedSeptember 20,2024.
  25. ^Capulong, Raya; Manabat, Johnson (September 6, 2024)."Alice Guo back in Crame after facing Tarlac court".ABS-CBN.RetrievedSeptember 7,2024.
  26. ^Mendoza, John Eric (September 9, 2024)."Quiboloy appears at PNP press briefing".INQUIRER.net.RetrievedSeptember 9,2024.
  27. ^Associated Press(September 8, 2024)."Fugitive Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse charges has been arrested".Voice of America.RetrievedSeptember 9,2024.
  28. ^Caliwan, Christopher Lloyd (September 13, 2024)."Quiboloy's 4 aides ordered transferred to Pasig jail".Philippine News Agency.RetrievedSeptember 24,2024.
  29. ^Galvez, Waylon (October 31, 2021)."Construction of multi-purpose, 2 condo buildings for PNP completed".Manila Bulletin.RetrievedSeptember 9,2024.
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