Cagayan de Oro ammo dump fire sparks debate on Army camp transfer proposal

From Rappler (Jul 15, 2022): Cagayan de Oro ammo dump fire sparks debate on Army camp transfer proposal (By FROILAN GALLARDO)

Cagayan de Oro Councilor George Goking says the July 12 fire and the subsequent powerful explosions are compelling arguments for the government to seriously consider moving the Army camp elsewhere

The July 12 fire at the ammunition dump of Camp Evangelista has sparked a debate on a proposal to move the seat of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division elsewhere due to safety concerns.

Local officials and a former commander of the Army division said the 129-hectare military camp in Barangay Patag should be turned into an economic zone instead.

But Army chief Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner Jr. and Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez said the proposal may not be the best path to take given how that would impact the military in terms of strategic position, and the hundreds of families who have been living in and around Mindanao’s largest military camp.

Brawner, who was the 4th ID commander before he headed the Army, frowned on the proposal to transfer the camp elsewhere, saying the Army property’s location is very strategic.

“The 4th Infantry Division is gifted with excellent airport and seaport capabilities,” Brawner said.

He said the seat of the Army division serves as a vital link in the defense of Mindanao and complements the 6th Division in Camp Awang in Cotabato City and the 1st Division in Pagadian City.

Brawner said this was underscored during the 2017 Marawi Siege when Camp Evangelista became the government’s hub for military arsenal and equipment sent to Mindanao from Manila.

He said the 4th ID has also established the Camp Evangelista Station Hospital, the best medical facility for soldiers wounded in battle in Northern Mindanao.

But Councilor George Goking, the chairman of the Cagayan de Oro City Council’s trade and commerce committee, said Tuesday’s fire and the subsequent powerful explosions were compelling arguments for the government to seriously consider moving the Army camp elsewhere.

Tuesday’s fire at Camp Evangelista’s ammunition depot resulted in the evacuation of more than 100 families who sought shelter elsewhere as powerful explosions shook Patag and neighboring villages, and caused widespread panic in urban areas of the city and an adjacent town in Misamis Oriental.

Three civilians were hurt as the fire shot huge fireballs to the sky, and spewed shells on streets, rooftops, and backyards.

Authorities have yet to start a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire that has been slowed down due to safety concerns. The military, however, assured the publis that it would be transparent with the investigation results, and that the local government would be allowed to participate.

Goking said the Camp Evangelista military complex posed a major risk to the village with 17,941 families, and its surrounding areas.

Its 5,573-yard golf course alone, according to Goking, could be converted into a commercial area to further spur Cagayan de Oro’s economy.

“The camp has outlived its usefulness because the entire area is now heavily populated. Considering what happened last Tuesday, it would do more harm now than good, “ Goking said.

Retired Army Lieutenant General Ronald Villanueva, a former 4th ID commander, said there were plans to transfer the camp either to Bukidnon or Butuan City, the regional capital of the neighboring Caraga.

Villanueva said the proposal was appealing to former defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairman of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, who ordered Army officials to draw up plans.

He said there were two choices – a military reservation in Mount Mayapay in Butuan, and another military reservation in Kibaritan, Kalilangan town in Bukidnon.

“The problem with the Kibaritan military reservation is that it will be a logistical nightmare because it is not accessible to an airport and seaport,” Villanueva said.

He said he favored Mount Mayapay because it is close to the Bancasi Airport in Butuan City and the seaport in Nasipit town, Agusan del Sur.

Villanueva said Camp Evangelista could be sold, and the proceeds could finance the transfer of the 4th ID and be used to give retirement benefits to soldiers.

Representative Rodriguez, however, rejected the proposal.

“Its presence here gives the needed security to Cagayan de Oro against terrorists, and it helps our city in terms of business,” he said.

Rodriguez also said hundreds of families who live in and around Camp Evangelista would be displaced if the camp is transferred.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/mindanao/cagayan-de-oro-ammo-dump-fire-sparks-debate-army-camp-transfer-proposal/