PALO, Leyte- The chief of the Philippine National Police supports the proposal for police personnel to wear body camera during their police operations.
Police Director General Ronald “Bato’ de la Rosa said that he does not see anything wrong if policemen would be wearing body cameras as this could dispel any impression that they are not doing right during their operations.
“I don’t have any problem with it, I totally agree with it,” said Dela Rosa in a media interview on Tuesday (August 22) as he served as the guest of honor during the 116th anniversary of the Philippine National Police held here.
He said that if policemen will wear cameras during their operations, this could be used as evidence to any allegations against them who accused them of not following protocol during their operations.
“If somebody accused a policeman, he can present the body camera recording as evidence to his defense,” de la Rosa said.
But the police director general said that huge amount of money needed to procure these body cameras may just stall its implementation.
“This requires a budget. I hope our senators will help us to have a budget so that we can issue body cameras to all police operatives,” de la Rosa said.
The call for policemen to wear body cameras during their operation came after the gruesome killing of 17-year old student Kian Loyd de los Santos.
Police operatives from Caloocan City claimed that the student fought back which resulted for them to shoot him.
But this claim received rebuked from the public.
The family of Kian insisted that he was killed and that he was not into illegal drug activity.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who made the proposal, said that body camera will be a “powerful tool and evidence” to hold police scalawags accountable for administrative and criminal liabilities when they abuse their authority while performing their duty. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)