Purisima said the government had a comprehensive plan to tap the private sector’s resources to build infrastructure “and, at the same time, continue to redeploy the assets of the government that are idle” or not being used properly.

“What we need to do is get together with all the departments, make an inventory, and see how we can redeploy these properties so that they are put to their best use,” Purisima said at a news briefing in Malacañang.

“The best use may not be having government right there,” he said, adding that the properties could be privatized and the proceeds used “to develop the property for best use, so we have a win-win scenario.”

Citing examples, Purisima mentioned a 40-hectare property of the Department of Health in Cebu, the New Bilibid Prisons compound (“343 or so hectares”) in Muntinlupa City, and the penal colonies in Davao and in Iwahig, Palawan.

And then there are Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame, which sit across from each other on Edsa.

“We have military camps in the city. Do we need these camps in the city? I’ve had discussions with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin [and he and others are] all very supportive of the fact that Aguinaldo and Crame should probably not be there,” Purisima said.

He said the Department of National Defense had also agreed that the two camps “should probably be redeveloped in order to build a better and bigger site of a consolidated military facility, and modernize the Armed Forces.”

But he added that the discussions were “all in the preliminary stages.”

Partial donations

Camp Aguinaldo was established on January 11, 1935. Initially known as Camp Murphy in honor of the first American high commissioner Frank Murphy, it was renamed Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in 1965, after the Philippines’ first President.

The camp covers a total land area of 178.78 hectares. Of these, 152.52 hectares were purchased by the government and the remaining 26.26 hectares were donated by Ortigas and Co. Partnership Ltd.

The Philippine Constabulary General Service Battalion was the first to use the camp in January 1935.

In December of that year, the National Defense Act paved the way for the formation of the Philippine Army. It also designated the Philippine Constabulary as the Army Constabulary Division, which maintains its peacekeeping mission under the DND.

In June 1938, the Army Constabulary Division was separated from the Philippine Army and was reformed to become the National Police Force under the Department of Interior.

The National Police Force established its own headquarters across Camp Murphy and named it Camp Crame in honor of Gen. Rafael Crame, the first Filipino chief of the Constabulary.

Camp Crame covers 32.7 hectares purchased by the government and 8.2 hectares donated by Ortigas and Co. It houses the Philippine National Police.

Camp Aguinaldo houses the Armed Forces General Headquarters, DND, National Capital Regional Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, AFP Command and General Staff College, Joint Special Operations Group and Anti-Crime Task Force, among others.

It also serves as home to more than 5,000 of its personnel.

Ortigas and Co. had reportedly specified in its deed of donation that if the camps would no longer be of use to the government, these should revert to the donor.

Profit-taking

In his first State of the Nation Address, President Aquino raised the idea of a private group leasing the Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard and the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio.

He said this would immediately earn for the government $100 million.

“We have 36,000 nautical miles of coastline. All we have are 32 vessels. These ships date back to the years of [Gen. Douglas] MacArthur,” the President said.

“Some came up with a proposal and this is their suggestion. They will lease the headquarters of the Navy on Roxas Boulevard and the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio,” he said.

Mr. Aquino said the private group would spend for the transfer of the naval facilities to Camp Aguinaldo.

“Immediately, they will pay us $100 million. And on top of all that, they will also give us revenues from the businesses that we will build on the leased property,” he said, adding:

“In short, we will get what we want, we won’t spend anything, and yet we will reap profits.”

Norman Bordadora, Phil. Daily Inquirer