PNP to demolish condemned Crame buildings

To prevent a repeat of the fire that hit the old logistics building and warehouse at Camp Crame last Feb. 25, Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has allotted P10 million to rehabilitate electrical lines and for the demolition of condemned buildings.

According to camp commander Senior Superintendent Geary Barias, building and fire safety inspectors have recommended the destruction of nine condemned buildings inside the camp.

Barias said the list includes two buildings occupied by the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Inc. (PMAAA); three more structures at the Logistics Support Service complex; two barracks of the Traffic Management Group; another one at the Engineering Service; and one more at the LSS compound.

A team from the Headquarters Service Support Unit demolished the TMG structures yesterday, which have long been used by some traffic policemen as quarters.

On Ebdane’s order, the PNP-HSS will start the refurbishing of the electrical wirings inside the camp, Barias said.

Ebdane has yet to release a final investigation report on the Feb. 25 fire after the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) claimed that it has yet to get a full inventory of items destroyed in the fire.

"We still have a headache because the (burned) building along costs P2 million and it is insured for only P500,000. We also lost some magazines for side arms and some ammos ready for distribution," Ebdane said in an ambush interview yesterday. – Christina Mendez