Palace: Police to use body cams in operations by April

The Philippine National Police (PNP) should be fully equipped with body cameras during their operations by April this year to allay the public’s fears over people being killed in police raids, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday.

“The body cams are there already. Training is ongoing and we expect these body cams to be used by April to erase doubts that the public may have on what really happens during police operations and when somebody dies in those operations,” Roque said in Filipino during a Palace briefing.

“Kasi ‘yang body cam po ay physical evidence at hindi po magsisinungaling ang physical evidence (Footage from body cam is physical evidence, and physical evidence does not lie),” he added.

Roque made this assurance amid the ongoing Justice Department probe on the deaths of nine activists in Calabarzon Region during police operations last Sunday.

The police operations were done to serve search warrants for explosives and other deadly weapons.

Chance to hold people accountable

As this developed, Roque also appealed to the Delegation of European Union in the Philippines to give Philippine authorities a chance to hold people accountable, if there are any, over the deaths of the nine activists .

“I ask the European Union, please give the Philippines a chance to discharge its obligation to investigate, punish and prosecute those who may have breached our domestic laws,” Roque said.

“We are undertaking and discharging the state obligation to investigate, prosecute and punish,” he added.

The EU delegation has expressed concern over the deaths of nine activists and reminded the Philippines to make good on its commitment to protect and enable human rights workers. — RSJ, GMA News