The botched entrapment that killed four anti-drug operatives in a gunfight among themselves last Wednesday should speed up the implementation of a “may bodycam sa dibdib, may dashcam sa sasakyan” rule in the Philippine National Police, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said on Sunday.
“It is again a bloody reminder of a missing but vital equipment in policing—video recording devices, especially during operations,” he said.
Recto, in the previous Congress, sponsored with then Senator JV Ejercito a P5.4 billion fund in the 2017 national budget for new police equipment, including body cameras, “but it took four years and five PNP chiefs to buy some 2,600 pieces.”
After failed biddings, the PNP finally took hold of the cameras early this year and are reportedly drafting protocols for their use,” Recto recalled.
But if 2,600 is the annual number of bodycams the PNP can buy, the senator said “it will take 100 years” to provide every policeman with one.
“And about 20 years if the target is to buy 40,000, on the assumption that only one in every five officers would need to wear one at any given time,” Recto said.
Recto said cameras are relatively cheap “at a time when we are buying missiles, attack helicopters, destroyers and fighter jets.”
“And if man can send a vehicle with a camera 200 million miles away to Mars, why can’t we equip our police patrol cars with dashcams—which every car or food delivery bike seems to have these days? In this age of Facebook Live, that isn’t cutting-edge space technology,” Recto said.
He said making it mandatory for police officers to wear body cameras during routine patrols and also for PDEA, NBI and military units during field operations “will store evidence needed to prosecute criminals. Sabi nga nila, may resibo.”
“Played in court, the footage is evidence hard to refute. It will also ensure that SOP is followed during operations. And it cuts both ways. It protects citizens from abuse, and the police from unfounded charges of abuse,” he said.
“Ganoon din sa dashcams. Kung may aksidente, or pursuit operations, o kahit kaso ng reckless overspeeding, may video proof,” Recto said.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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