Rafael Crame

For the Police Headquarters, see Camp Crame.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Crame and the second or maternal family name is Pérez de Tagle.

Rafael Crame
Chief of Philippine Constabulary
In office 1917–1927
Governors‑General	Leonard Wood Charles Yeater (acting) Francis Burton Harrison
Preceded by	Herman Hall
Succeeded by	Charles Nathorst
Personal details
Born	Rafael Crame y Pérez de Tagle (1863-10-02)October 2, 1863 Tambobong, Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
Died	January 1, 1927(1927-01-01) (aged 63) Manila, Philippine Islands
Alma mater	Spanish Military Academy (Toledo)
Awards	Medal of Valor
Military service
Allegiance	Philippines (1922–1945) Spanish Empire
Branch/service	Philippine Constabulary Spanish Army
Years of service	1902–1927 1881–1898
Rank	Brigadier general Captain (Spanish Army)
Battles/wars	Philippine Revolution

Rafael Crame y Pérez de Tagle (October 2, 1863 - January 1, 1927) was a Filipino constabulary officer who served as Chief of the Philippine Constabulary from 1917 until his death in 1927.

Early life and education

Rafael Crame was born in Tambobong, Province of Manila (now Malabon, Metro Manila) to Don Rafael María de Crame y González Calderon, an artillery officer in the Spanish Army in the Philippines, while his mother was Maria Perez de Tagle. His grandfather was Joaquín Rafael de Crame (b. 1786) who was Governor-General of the Philippines in 1835.

Crame studied at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and then enrolled in the Spanish military academy from 1879 up to 1881.

Career

Upon completion of his cadetship, Crame was employed by the Spanish government in the Negociado de Contribución Territorial. He was a government official in the Administración de Hacienda Pública when the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896. He served in a battalion of volunteer forces organized by the Spanish armed forces.

Crame joined the Philippine Constabulary in 1902 after being invited by a certain Captain Alkinson. Crame started with the rank of fourth class inspector and gradually rose from the ranks to become a colonel by 1914.

In 1907, Captain Rafael Crame presided over the preliminary investigation of Philippine Independence Leader Macario Sakay and his group after they were arrested in a deceitful entrapment orchestrated by the American officials who initially promised general amnesty. The accused were charged under the Brigand Act and Sakay was later convicted and hanged.

In December 1917, Crame was named as chief of the Constabulary and attained the rank of brigadier general.

The American Medal of Valor was awarded to him for helping quash a mutiny in Manila in 1921. He was said to have declined the citation when he said, "I only did my duty".

Recognition

Crame is recognized for being the first Filipino to become chief of the Philippine Constabulary.

Crame was buried at his family grave at La Loma Cemetery . On August 7, 2003, 76 years after his death, Crame's remains were exhumed from the La Loma Cemetery in Manila, and he was given a hero's burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig the following day. Camp Crame, the place that houses the Philippine National Police, was named after him due to his contributions to the Philippine Constabulary and for his being a positive role model to the Philippine para-military police force during his time.

• 
  La Loma Cemetery
• 
  Crame's original tomb
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  Family grave
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  Crame's family grave
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  Camp Crame

External links

• Media related to Rafael Crame at Wikimedia Commons
• A short biography of Brigadier General Rafael Crame at the Wayback Machine (archived October 27, 2009)
• PNP History