A lawmaker has supported a plan of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to create a legal department within the Philippine National Police (PNP) that will be tasked to exclusively handle cases filed against policemen.
At the same time, Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan of Bicol Saro party-list group recommended that police officers are equipped with body cameras for efficient custody of evidence against criminal suspects when the cases reach the courts.
“We fully support the President’s directive to study the possible creation of a PNP legal department whose main job is to protect police officers from cases of harassment and other similar complaints filed against them,” Yamsuan said.
As a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Yamsuan acknowledged this longstanding problem faced by the PNP especially in cases where suspects are able to get off scot-free because of a good legal defense team.
Yamsuan pointed out that while the PNP has an existing Legal Service unit, it is often spread out thinly as it is also tasked to study contracts involving the PNP; render legal opinions on issues arising from the administration and operation of the police organization; and conduct seminars and lectures on legal issues and jurisprudence affecting law enforcement, among other functions.
“In line with the President’s plan, an office or unit manned by lawyers with expertise in criminal law can be set up within the PNP. Its job is to exclusively handle cases and complaints filed against PNP personnel in the performance of their duties,” Yamsuan said.
To complement this move, PNP personnel should be required to use body-worn cameras during police operations when applicable. “This will help protect not only the suspect from harassment and abuse, but also police officers from trumped-up charges,” Yamsuan said.
Yamsuan said the PNP should also invest more in the training and continuing education of its uniformed officers especially in the handling of evidence and in the proper conduct of law enforcement operations.
The House committee on public order and safety chaired by Sta. Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez has created a technical working group (TWG) to consolidate and finalize pending bills aimed at mandating police officers to use body-worn cameras during law enforcement operations.
Yamsuan, a member of the committee, has recommended that the bill include a provision on thehiring and training of non-uniformed personnel to ensure that recordings in the body-worn cameras remain untampered, and are properly stored, filed and handled.