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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PNP seeks to buy around 45,000 body-worn cameras

PNP seeks to buy around 45,000 body-worn cameras

Published Aug 20, 2023 08:17 am

The Philippine National Police (PNP) wants to procure around 45,000 body-worn cameras in a bid to ensure the integrity of every police operation amid the series of controversies that hit the organization in the past weeks.

PNP chief information officer Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said they have already requested for the necessary funds from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to at least narrow the gap between what the police have right now and the ideal number of body-worn cameras needed across the country.

“Our body-worn cameras are limited right now. Our requirement is something like 45,000 body-worn cameras but right now we only have 2,700 so the policemen that were issued with that are very limited,” said Maranan.

The 2,700 body-worn cameras that the PNP has right now was a result of the over P300 million budget allocated by the Congress to ensure  clean conduct of police operations following the death of Kian delos Santos in an anti-illegal drugs operation at the height of the drug war.

The Supreme Court, it was recalled, even issued guidelines on the use of body-worn cameras by the police. 

The number, however, is insufficient to cover all police operations and this was the reason why prioritization of distribution was implemented—most of the body-worn cameras were distributed to policemen in Metro Manila and other urban areas, as well as other PNP units that usually conduct big-time operations.

The PNP had requested for more but billions of funds are needed since the P300 million fund for instance was only able to buy around 2,700 body-worn cameras since part of the procurement is the software to run and store the data. 

Maranan has expressed confidence that the PNP request for more body-worn cameras would be granted by the DBM.

“We could procure more this coming year because in the past two years, the concentration of the budget was for Covid response,” said Maranan.

The PNP is being criticized anew over the involvement of some cops in alleged wrongdoings, the most recent was the death of a 17-year old son of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) at the hands of the policemen in Navotas and the alleged robbery-extortion in Imus, Cavite during a conduct of illegal drugs operations. 

PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda, Jr., however, stressed the disciplinary mechanisms are in place and this, he said, is the reason behind the dismissal of more than 500 cops since July last year. 

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