PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) director for operations Major General Valeriano de Leon has reminded all regional directors to regularly inspect their respective ammunition storages following a fire that hit a military camp in Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
De Leon said he instructed regional police heads and other commanders to exercise due diligence in storing firearms ammunition due to the dangers it poses especially when mishandled.
This also includes storage areas for confiscated evidence such as firearms and ammunition.
“Our commanders should always make sure to check the weather condition and the temperature inside the storage areas. Moisture may develop inside and this can ignite the ammunition inside,” he said.
“We have to be careful and responsible in handling this because we don’t want any similar incident that happened in Cagayan de Oro City to happen in the police camps or any police offices. So the best way to ensure that this would not happen is to take regular preventive measures,” he added.
On July 12, 2022, a fire broke out in one of the buildings inside the ammunition complex in Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Barangay Patag.
The fire reportedly stemmed from the explosion of various ammunition stored in the said building.
Three civilians were injured due to the incident.
De Leon said this should serve as a lesson to the PNP.
He warned that those who would be found to be remising their responsibility of properly taking care of ammunition storage areas would be facing administrative cases.
“They would surely be facing administrative liability if they would not exercise due diligence because we have already reminded them through a memorandum issued from the National Headquarters,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)