THE recent killing of a Navotas teenager which led to public outrage has prompted the need to immediately pass a measure institutionalizing the use of wearable body cameras in legitimate law enforcement operations, Deputy Speaker and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar said today.
“An efficient and functional policy regarding use of body cams and dashcams should already be in place as these could provide crucial evidence at crime scenes or during operations,” Villar said.
Villar, author of House Bill 8352 which seeks to mandate the use of body cameras and police dashcams, said the case of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar, who was shot and killed by police in what they considered as a mistaken identity, is a “huge setback” in delivering greater transparency in police operations.
Last August 2, Baltazar and his friend were preparing their boat to go fishing when a cop ordered them to get off. Baltazar’s friend, who survived unscathed, said they tried to surrender but the police kept shooting, prompting the former to jump into the river.
The Philippine National Police has admitted “lapses” in the Navotas operation and said the officers directly involved had either failed to turn on their body cams or that the devices ran out of battery.
Under Villar’s proposal, all footage taken using a body cam shall be retained for one year and for another three years if the video captures an “interaction or event involving any use of force or an encounter about which a complaint has been registered by a subject of the footage.”
Once approved, the implementing rules and regulations of the legislation shall include disciplinary measures and penalties for failure to wear a body cam while on duty and failure to keep the wearable body cam on during an “interaction.”
The national police force had said they had deployed body cams in 2021, but admitted many police officers were not properly observing protocols and use of such devices.
“Clearly, with the body cam law in place, it can provide transparency and accountability in questionable law enforcement operations especially as regards internal reviews involving officers and investigations involving victims,” Villar pointed out.
She called for a speedy investigation and immediate administration of justice to the victim’s family as safety and security of the public are paramount especially in law enforcement operations.
