Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has less than two months to procure millions of pesos worth of body cameras – or the long-delayed purchase would be back to square one in 2020.
“Kung hindi natin ito makukumpleto, ang budget ay maibabalik sa National Treasury at sa susunod na taon ay babalik uli tayo sa panibagong proseso at sayang yung pagkakataon,” PBGen Bernard Banac, spokesperson of the PNP, said in a media briefing on Tuesday.
[Translation: If we don’t complete the process, the budget will be turned over to the National Treasury and we will start a new process next year, and this will be a waste of time.]
Six qualified proponents have emerged in the bidding process. The selection process for the winning bidder is underway.
In 2018, the PNP and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency “encouraged” the use of body cameras and other gadgets to record anti-illegal drug operations, amid criticisms over drug war killings.
A ₱334-million fund was released that year, but procurement of 300 body cameras was delayed due to an extortion case. PLtGen Archie Gamboa, PNP Officer-in Charge, earlier revealed that three police majors who were part of a technical working group asked a supplier for a ₱5-million bribe. The dismissal order for these cops are expected to be released soon.
Vice President and anti-drug czar Leni Robredo earlier urged the government to invest on body cameras, saying it is necessary to protect both law enforcers and civilians. President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Robredo co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs following her call to stop the “wrong” methods that did not bring down the number of drug addicts in the country. Robredo said she will shift to a health-based approach, promising there will be no more “senseless killings” in the war on drugs.
Government data show around 6,000 have been killed in anti-drug operations since Duterte took office in July 2016. Local and international human rights groups say thousands more have died in extrajudicial killings as a result of the President’s public pronouncements urging the killing of drug users, a claim Malacañang has repeatedly denied.
