Poe presses Eleazar to include use of body cams in first mission orders

Senator Grace Poe on Friday urged incoming Philippine National Police chief Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar to include the use of body cameras in his “first mission orders.”

“PNP Chief Eleazar has been known to conduct inspections and make sure that his officers are performing to the best of their ability. I’m hopeful that the new Chief will push for the use of body and dash cameras to help make our police force more professional in the field,” Poe said in a statement Friday.

She said this will also be part of PNP’s compliance with the Supreme Court order for the cops to wear body cameras when serving search and arrest warrants.

Poe likewise pointed out that the body and dash cameras are available and affordable technology being used by the police forces in various countries.

“We are optimistic that the new PNP Chief will not be the fourth Director General to let this opportunity pass,” Poe said as she noted that the funds for the body cameras were released four years or three PNP chiefs ago.

The lawmaker also expressed confidence that Eleazar can quickly resolve the privacy and operational issues on the use of body cameras.

“Bago ang PNP Chief. Bago rin ang Chief Justice [Both the PNP chief and the Chief Justice are new]. So let the issue of body cams be the start of a good relationship between these two pillar institutions,” Poe said.

Recently, newly-appointed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and the senior officers of the PNP held a virtual meeting that mainly discussed the high court’s statement on the use of body cameras for the service of search and arrest warrants.

In March, SC justices tackled a proposal requiring law enforcers to use body cameras when serving warrants issued by judges. A resolution on the matter is expected to be drafted.

Body cameras store footage of crimes being committed, which could then lead to the easier prosecution and conviction of offenders, Poe said.

Moreover, Poe said she expects that the national police chief is capable of providing cameras to his men n the ground, noting that the PNP was able to procure police choppers in 2017.

Earlier, Poe questioned the PNP’s delay in the use of body cameras in its operations, asserting that the police officials should have prepared the protocols for its use to address privacy issues. —Hana Bordey/KBK, GMA News