MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday expressed hope that a law requiring and regulating the use of body cameras in police operations would be in place before May next year.
“We hope to come up with the law before May of next year, dahil (because) May next year expected yung delivery daw ng (is the delivery of the) procured body cameras ng (by the) PNP (Philippine National Police),” Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, told reporters after he led a hearing on bills mandating and institutionalizing the use of body cameras.
“So dapat nandito na yung batas na ito bago gagamitin itong body worn camera para yung kanilang magiging protocol yung mga polisiya nila is consistent with the law,” he added.
(So the law needs to be in place before the police uses the body worn cameras so that their protocol and their policy will be consistent with the law).
PNP officer -in -charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa earlier said initially, 2,696 body cameras will be purchased.
He also said that the delivery of the body cameras could be made in the second or third quarter of 2020 and police officers would be able to use the equipment by then.
Dela Rosa said comments and suggestions from concerned agencies will be consolidated and studied by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which he heads.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will be invited to a another hearing on the matter, he added.
“Pinapasubmit ko na lang sila ng kanya-kanyan position paper, yung PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), yung PNP, yung NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) dahil may mga comments sila dun sa ibang provisions nung mga bills. Apat kasi na bills yun. Kino-consolidate natin at once ma-submit nila yun, pag-aralan natin at magkakaroon pa tayo ng isang hearing and we are inviting DOJ and CHR,” he said.
(We are just asking them to submit their respective position paper, the PDEA, the PNP, the NBI, because they have comments on some provisions of the bills. There are four bills. We will consolidate and study it and then we will have another hearing and we are inviting the DOJ and CHR).