Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill that requires Philippine National Police (PNP) to wear body cameras during raids, in response to the controversial death of the 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos.
Gatchalian said that this is a “powerful tool” for providing concrete evidence for every anti-illegal drugs operation, ensuring transparency in every drug operations made by PNP.
“Footage collected from police body cams would provide concrete evidence to hold police scalawags administratively and criminally liable for violating their oath to serve and protect the people,” Gatchalian said.
This bill seeks for all law enforcement personnel to record the entire anti-drugs operations from deployment to the target until the end of the mission.
However, Gatchalian clarified that if an operation will be unrecorded and will result to the injury or death of an individual, the police in error will be automatically dismissed from service and recommended for criminal prosecution.
“To ensure strict compliance with the body cam policy, law enforcement personnel who engage in a raid, buy-bust operation, or other anti-illegal drugs operation without recording the required video footage will be summarily suspended pending investigation,” Gatchalian emphasized.
Gatchalian also urged PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa and other police officials to support the bill, as this will help the PNP to “separate the decent, law-abiding from scalawags.” | (Tina Joyce Laceda – PTV)
