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Ruffy Biazon calls for passage of body cam bill


A lawmaker on Monday reiterated his call for the passage of a measure requiring law enforcement personnel to wear body cameras during police operations.

This, amid the recent spate of killings in the Duterte administration's campaign against illegal drugs, including that of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos.

In a statement, Muntinlupa Representative Ruffy Biazon called on his colleagues at the House of Representatives to support House Bill 2741, or the proposed "Body Camera Act," which was filed in August last year.

"Having video recordings of operations will serve the interests both of policemen and the public they come into contact with. Many policemen have also been victims of trumped up charges of abuse against them, just as members of the public have been victims of abusive law enforcers. Body cams serve as neutral eyewitnesses that will tell what actually transpired," Biazon said.

Apart from requiring the use of body cameras, the measure also provides for the privacy of persons, preservation of evidence, and basic parameters for the use of the video recording devices.

Biazon said that funds for the body cams would no longer be a problem, with the proposed P900-million budget for Oplan Tokhang.

"If the [Philippine National Police] will ask for more funds to support their anti-drug campaign, there should be a mechanism of accountability for their operations. Use of body cams is one of those mechanisms. Any appropriation for Tokhang Part 2 should include funds for body cams," he said.

Biazon urged his fellow legislators to support his proposal.

"With the public sentiment on the killing of Kian, this is one action that lawmakers can [take] to prevent or prosecute perpetrators of unwarranted deaths in the future. With its passage, Kian will not have died in vain," he said.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said he will also file a bill in the upper house  towards the same end. — BM/KVD, GMA News

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