The Philippine National Police (PNP) needs an estimated 5,000 body cameras to comply with the directive of the Supreme Court (SC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos said.
“According to our chief, we have a lack, siguro mga 5,000 body cameras pa po ang kulang namin (perhaps we lack around 5,000 body cameras),” Abalos said, when asked by Senator Risa Hontiveros during a Commission on Appointments hearing.
Abalos, quoted in a GMA News report, also said the purchase of body cameras will be done in phases considering that it would require huge funding.
The police organization said it would need 33,000 to 34,000 body-worn cameras to cover all the police units in the country, with 16 of the device per police station.
In July 2021, the SC approved a resolution providing rules for the mandatory use of body-worn cameras during the execution of search and arrest warrants.
Under the SC resolution, law enforcers must have at least one body-worn camera and one alternative recording device or such number needed to record the relevant incidents during the execution of search or arrest warrants.
In case of unavailability of body-worn cameras, law enforcers shall file a motion before the court to use alternative recording devices for justifiable reasons.
Asked about the Safe Philippines project, which aims to install more CCTVs to reduce crime incidents, Abalos said he preferred investing on applications over additional CCTV cameras in Metro Manila.
He said Metro Manila already has many CCTV cameras.
Due to funding issues caused by the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country, then-DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said the Safe Philippines project was canceled.
In 2019, the DILG launched the project initially in five cities of Metro Manila. Through the project, the DILG aimed to reduce crime rates by 15% and improve emergency response time by 20% by utilizing
modern information and communications technology.