New Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Guillermo Eleazar said Monday that the organization is “very much ready” to use body cameras during operations to avoid legal technicalities in the future.
“With the guidance of the Supreme Court, with their protocol na ilalabas, maaaring at least dun sa mga implementation at service of search warrant doon sa mga lugar na meron nang body cameras ay puwede na itong ilunsad,” Eleazar told Unang Hirit.
(With the guidance of the Supreme Court and the protocols it would issue, we can at least start using body cameras in areas where police stations already have them.)
PNP chief Eleazar said around 3,000 body cameras have already been distributed to 117 city police stations. More body cams are expected to be given to over 1,000 municipal police stations.
“Na-distribute na itong almost 3,000 [body cameras] dun sa 117 lang na city police stations, itong more than 1,000 municipal police stations wala pa rin po pero inaasahan natin na darating yan,” he said.
PNP chief Eleazar says cops to use body cameras under his term
(Some 3,000 body cameras have already been distributed to 117 city police stations and we expect more to come for the over 1,000 municipal police stations.)
Last week, Senator Grace Poe said requiring cops to wear body cameras during operations should be included in Eleazar’s “first mission orders.”
“PNP Chief Eleazar has been known to conduct inspections and make sure that his officers are performing to the best of their ability. I’m hopeful that the new Chief will push for the use of body and dash cameras to help make our police force more professional in the field,” Poe said in a statement Friday.
The senator also noted that the funds for the body cameras and dash cameras were released four years or three PNP chiefs ago.
“We are optimistic that the new PNP Chief will not be the fourth Director-General to let this opportunity pass,” Poe said.
“Bago ang PNP Chief. Bago rin ang Chief Justice [Both the PNP chief and the Chief Justice are new]. So let the issue of body cams be the start of a good relationship between these two pillar institutions,” she added.
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