Muntinlupa City’s Lone District Rep. Ruffy Biazon. INQUIRER.net file photo / Katrina Hallare
MANILA, Philippines — Flaws in the operational procedures conducted by the police and anti-drug agents must be identified to prevent a repeat of what appeared to be a “misencounter” on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City last week, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon said Tuesday as he called for a thorough review of the operations manual of both the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“While many are looking forward to seeing heads roll after the PNP-PDEA Fatal Fiasco at Ever, what I’d like to see are the flaws of their operational procedures followed by necessary changes to prevent a repeat and enable them to capture those in the drug trade,” he said in a statement.
The ops manuals should be scrutinized line by line if need be, for us to identify flaws in the procedures and the lapses committed if any,” Biazon added.
The National Bureau of Investigation is already conducting its probe on the alleged misencounter that left two cops, two PDEA agents, and one PDEA informant killed.
If the use of body-worn cameras by both PNP and PDEA personnel were made mandatory during the operation, Biazon said it could have revealed what really transpired during last Wednesday’s shootout, which both agencies claimed to be legitimate operations.
“It’s an instance like this when bodycams in law enforcement operations are needed in order to have a record of what really happened. Exactly as embodied in legislation that I have been pushing for since 2016,” he said.
“The bodycams would have acted as neutral eyewitnesses to the encounter,” he added.
Biazon authored House Bill NO. 32 or the Body Camera Act, which mandates law enforcement personnel to wear body cameras during operations.
For its part, the PNP is expected to start wearing body cameras by the end of this month, Biazon said.