Senator to file bill requiring cops to wear body cameras in drug raids

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said he will file a bill requiring policemen to wear body cameras during drug raids in wake of the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos.

Gatchalian said a body camera would be a "powerful tool" to ensure transparency in drug raids.

"Footage collected from police body cams would provide concrete evidence to hold police scalawags administratively and criminally liable for violating their oath to serve and protect the people," he said.

The proposed measure, he said, will require policemen to record the entire anti-drugs operation - from deployment to the target until the conclusion of the mission.

He said the body cameras should be worn by policemen during search and buy-bust operations.

The senator said policemen who will fail to comply should be summarily suspended and if the unrecorded operation would result in injury or death of a drug suspect, the policemen should be dismissed from the service and recommended for criminal prosecution.

He added that the body camares would help the Philippine National Police (PNP) "separate the decent, law-abiding from scalawags."

Gatchalian urged PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa and other police officials to support the bill.

A similar proposal called the Body Camera Bill had been filed by Muntinlupa City Representative Ruffy Biazon at the House of Representatives in April last year.

Authorities claimed that Delos Santos attempted to flee when they were approaching him. Police chased him but the teenager allegedly drew a gun and fired at them, forcing them to fire back.

A CCTV footage, however, shows two policemen dragging away the teenager, contrary to claims that he resisted arrest and took off.

Last week, at least 90 drug suspects were killed by policemen in drug raids in Bulacan and Metro Manila.

Late July, policemen killed 16 people during predawn raids at the residences of Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Jr.

The mayor, his wife and siblings were among those killed.

Police had admitted that the CCTV cameras at the mayor's home were disabled during the operation.

Members of the Parojinog family had claimed that the mayor and the others were summarily executed and evidence recovered by police were planted.

The Ozamiz City police had maintained that the mayor and the others fired at the raiding team. —ALG, GMA News