Yamsuan: Proper training of personnel needed to secure PNP’s body-camera recordings

Bicol Saro party-list Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan

MANILA, Philippines – Bicol Saro party-list Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan has underscored the need to properly train technical personnel that will handle and secure the recordings in body-worn cameras used in police operations to ensure the integrity of these pieces of evidence when presented in court.

During the hearing conducted today (May 9, 2023) by the House  of Representatives committee on public order and safety, Yamsuan also proposed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) include the expenses for the training of personnel who will secure these body-camera recordings in the proposed budget of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for 2024.

“You should include in your proposal for the body-worn cameras the corresponding training of personnel, because it is important that such individuals are highly skilled to handle this kind of sensitive data,” Yamsuan told PNP officials present during the hearing.

A former Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Yamsuan also said the PNP should ensure that these recordings are hack-free and tamper-proof when presented in court as evidence.

“For the individuals involved, it could affect their lives if the PNP commits errors in submitting these videos and other data,” Yamsuan said.

Yamsuan manifested his proposal during the committee hearing chaired by Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez to discuss several measures seeking to institutionalize the use by police personnel of body cameras during law enforcement operations, and appropriating funds for this purpose.

Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, a vice chairperson of the committee and a former police general; along with PATROL party-list Rep, Jorge Bustos, agreed with Yamsuan’s proposal.

Yamsuan pointed out that while body-worn cameras are now widely used to help deter inappropriate police behavior and protect suspects from abuses, there have been cases in other countries of law enforcement officers editing or deleting footage from such devices.

Last year, it was reported that the Metro Nashville Police District in the United States edited portions of body-worn camera footage supposedly to remove profanity and expletives in the video clips. The footage was part of the evidence in a police misconduct case.

During the hearing, the panel approved Yamsuan’s motion to refer the bills mandating the use by the PNP of body-worn cameras to the House subcommittee on police operations headed by Abra Rep. Ching Bernos for further study.

The measures include House Bills 3853, 4708, 6202, 631s2 and 7602 authored by Representatives Gus Tambunting of Paranaque’s 2nd district, LRay Villafuerte of Camarines Sur’s 2nd District, Rex Gatchalian, formerly of Valenzuela’s 2nd District and now Social Welfare Secretary; Edwin Olivarez of Paranaque’s 1st District and Richard Gomez of Leyte’s 4th District.

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