Albayalde: Procurement of body worn cameras for police ops still in bidding stage

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde in a recent episode of "Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie."

The procurement of body-worn cameras to increase transparency during police operations is still at the bidding stage, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde.

"Sa dami kasi ng nagbi-bid ng body camera, nasa stage pa lang po tayo ng product presentation," Albayalde said in a recent episode of "Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie."

"But meron po tayong bilin sa ating kapulisan na in the absence of the body camera hangga't maaari magsama sila ng barangay officials and members of the media," he added.

Further, Albayalde said the PNP targets to procure body cameras with real-time features so that it could transmit live videos to the tactical operations center.

The equipment should also be shockproof and waterproof, he added.

He said that more than P300 million was allocated for the procurement of body-worn cameras.

In 2017, the PNP vowed to use this equipment to ensure transparency in its intensified operations against illegal drugs.

In April 2018, Albayalde said the bidding process has already started and that the first batch of body cameras would be distributed in the second quarter of that year.

The topic was discussed amid the issue on the death of a three-year-old girl Myca Ulpina in an anti-drugs police operation in Rizal province on June 29.

Police investigation showed that the service firearms of two cops killed the child who was allegedly used as a human shield by her father.

Albayalde said the case is being handled by the PNP-Internal Affairs Service.

He also vowed that the PNP will not tolerate irregularities among its ranks.

"We want to gain the respect of the community here. We want to make the PNP a dynamic professional police service," he said.

Asked how he would rate the PNP's crackdown on illegal drugs, Albayalde said he would give the institution a "passing grade."

"I think passing naman. I'll give the PNP a passing grade. The best proof po para masabi natin na drug war is succeeding is the improvement of our peace and order (situation)," he said. — Dona Magsino/BAP, GMA News