By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA
MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday the acquisition of body cameras to be used by police officers in anti-crime and drug operations is undergoing the bidding process.
“Yun delay kasi, dati, nagbibigay sila ng 4G, may LTE, may 5G na ngayon and yung ating mga internet service providers, yun ang tinitignan natin and there’s a lot of bidders right now. Pinag-uusapan ngayon ng mga bids and awards committee (The delay is because in the past, they were giving us 4G, LTE. Now, we have 5G and our internet service providers, we are also looking closely at them. There are a lot of bidders right now. The Bids and Awards Committee is currently deliberating on this),” PNP spokesperson, Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr., said when asked for an update on the matter, after the #Real Numbers press briefing in Camp Crame.
Last February, the PNP announced that it allocated PHP334 million for the acquisition of body cameras needed by its operatives, for distribution in July.
The fund for the body cameras came from the PNP’s 2018 budget.
Asked about the target date for the acquisition of the body cams, Durana answered, “As soon as possible. Congress, I think, passed a resolution that we can use our budget for the prior years for next year.”
Durana, however, disclosed that some police units bought body cameras and other equipment out of their own funds.
“Sariling gastos. Pati nga yung vests. Minsan, binibigay ng mga stakeholders. I understand sa Malvar Police Station (in Batangas), binigyan sila lahat ng (they were all given) armored vests. Bigay ng mga stakeholders, ng mga kaibigan namin (They shelled out funds, including for vests. Sometimes, stakeholders provide them. I understand that personnel of the Malvar Police Station were given armored vests by stakeholders, by our friends),” he said.
In December 2017, chairperson of the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee, Karlo Nograles, said ample funds had been allocated under the General Appropriations Act for 2018 in the purchase of body cameras for PNP members to keep the country’s police force at par with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
