The Philippine National Police has asked lawmakers to provide additional funds for the procurement of more body cameras.
“We are calling on our lawmakers to consider adding funds for the procurement of more body cameras,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said.
The national police earlier this year acquired 2,696 body-worn cameras equipped with SIM cards that will be used to feed videos to the PNP Command Center.
Each major police station will be given 16 body cameras, eight of which will be used by patrolling operatives while the remaining eight will be reserved for other operations.
The body cameras are waterproof and can record video for up to eight hours. The officers wearing them cannot interfere with its configuration and they cannot turn those off while on duty.
Eleazar said the PNP has also discussed with Supreme Court justices the proposal to allow the use of body cameras during the conduct of search warrants.
“We are studying the use of body cameras during the conduct of search warrants,” he said.
The PNP is waiting for the Supreme Court to approve the protocols that will guide law enforcers on the proper use of body-worn cameras.
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo on Monday said the Supreme Court is giving priority on the promulgation of the rules on the use of body cameras by cops in serving search and arrest warrants.
The use of body cameras was one of the courses of action the SC adopted to address the threats and killings of lawyers in the country.
The renewed call for the use of body cameras during police operations was triggered as well by the killing of nine activists on March 7 in Southern Luzon during the joint police and military operations in serving search warrants for persons with alleged links to communist groups.
Meanwhile, a House leader urged Eleazar to start the rollout of body-worn cameras in police operations.
“Appropriate body cam use in law enforcement can protect the innocent and law enforcers and help mete out justice on those who choose to violate the law with impunity,” said Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera, nominee of Bagong Henerasyon party-list group.
“Mandatory wearing of body cameras by police officers can somehow regain the trust of Filipinos in the police force,” she added.