Majority of Members agreed that an inquiry is called for on the matter given that budget deliberations will soon start.
THE House Committee on Public Order and Safety chaired by Rep. Dan Fernandez (Lone District, Santa Rosa City) met Tuesday to discuss, among other things, the proposal for police officers to use body worn cameras (BWCs) in their operations to lessen incidents of planting of evidence and abuse.
Fernandez explained that the meeting was convened after officers from the Philippine National Police (PNP) disclosed that it was planning to “procure 42,856 body worn cameras with an estimated total cost of P1.393 billion.”
The lawmaker said majority of Members agreed that an inquiry is called for on the matter given that budget deliberations will soon start. The probe is also in relation to an ongoing investigation on the alleged illegal drug buy-bust operations of PNP Regional Office 4A.
Fernandez said that the arresting officers in the buy-bust operation “used an alternative recording device or ARD due to unavailability of body worn cameras.”
PNP Director for Logistics Gen. Ronald Olay presented the details and status of the said procurement. According to Olay, some P338 million was allocated in 2018 for the procurement of BWCs. Of the amount, P228 million was spent for BWCs and other mission equipment, with the remaining P110 million returned to the National Treasury. One set of BWC station supplied to the PNP cost P87,000 each.
Rep. Jorge Bustos (Partylist, PATROL) pointed out that law enforcement operatives should not wear BWCs at the start of drug bust operations, “Halimbawa, mag ba-buy bust ka. Suot mo na yan? Siyempre hindi.”
He proposed that BWCs be instead provided to Explosive Ordnance Divisions and (EODs) K-9 units, because international treaties on response mechanisms that the country is a part of, mandate the use of such equipment, Bustos explained.
