Pasig City donates 48 body cameras to policemen
Pasig City police personnel have started on Thursday using body cameras in all of their operations.
National Capitol Region Police (NCRPO) Diretor Oscar Albayalde and Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, Eastern Police District director, led the small orientation on using a body camera during checkpoint operation along Shaw Boulevard in Pasig City yesterday.
Sapitula said a total of 48 body cameras were donated by the local government of Pasig City.
PO3 Catherine Deligante of the Eastern Police District public information office said the body cameras are “distributed to 10 Police Community Precincts personnel, Special Reaction Unit (SRU), and Pasig CPS operating units.”
Sapitula emphasized the importance of the use of body cameras not only for transparency but to protect personnel from wrong accusations.
“The use of body cam will serve as a tool to show the public what really transpired within a police operation, with this our operations are now transparent to the public,” he said.
“Not only that it can be used as material evidence for prosecution, it will also protect us police officers against those who will try to accuse us of misdemeanour as we perform our duties and responsibilities,” he added.
Albayalde also emphasized that the use of body cameras is part of their preparation if the PNP will be again tasked to lead the anti-illegal drug operation.
“First of all this is in preparation if the war on drugs will really be returned to us. At least we already started to accept donations, like here in Pasig. These are just assistance that was given to us by the mayor of Pasig,” he said.
“We are thankful that they were able to respond to our request that until we do not yet have funds for the body camera for the whole PNP. It is the chief executive who will provide body cameras for us,” he added.
Since the number of body cameras given were limited, Albayalde clarified that at least one police personnel should wear a body camera during the operation.
“Not necessarily all, maybe at least one who is involved on the actual operation like this since we haven’t used it on war on drugs. We can use it on checkpoint operations, Oplan Galugad,” he said.
“We will investigate (if no body camera are used during police operation) because we require that in every operation there should be at least one among them who wears a body camera especially here in Pasig because we know the mayor here has made a donation,” he added.
Albayalde said in the National Capital Region, the local government of Pasig is the first to donate body cameras for their city policemen.
“At least here in NCRPO it is the first and Pasig is the first (local government) to give body cameras for our policemen, I think the mayor of Quezon City has already pledged ( to give body cameras),” Albayalde said.
“We hope that all of our mayors in Metro Manila will respond to our request while the PNP does not yet have funds,” he added.
Albayalde said funds for acquisition of body cameras for the PNP will be included in their budget for next year. Robina Asido/DMS
