Lacson wants fast-tracking of PNP body cameras amid Laguna buy-bust controversy

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday pushed for the fast-tracking of the procurement and deployment of body cameras for the Philippine National Police following the killing of two people, including a minor, in a police operation in Laguna last week.

In a statement, Lacson said he also hopes the Supreme Court would issue the guidelines for the use of body cameras the soonest.

"The killing of a minor in a recent PNP drug bust operation and the subsequent 'he says, she says' conflicting versions of the story should prod the PNP to fast-track the procurement of more body cameras and require all their personnel deployed in field operations," he said.

"We hope the Supreme Court would issue soonest the guidelines and protocols for the use of the body cameras based on established jurisprudence that defines 'reasonable expectation of privacy test' - which will be a major asset to our law enforcers as well as improved protection of civilians against police abuses," he added.

A former national police chief, Lacson said the use of body cameras will help in evidence gathering and will serve as a deterrent against abuse by lawmen.

Last week, two people, one of them a minor, were killed in an anti-drug police operation in Biñan City.

The family of 16-year-old Jhondy Maglinte Helis, however, is denying the police's claim that he fought it out with the policemen who were serving an arrest warrant.

They said Helis was handcuffed and begging the police not to kill him.

Restrictive custody

At least 10 policemen linked to the death are under restrictive custody while the probe is ongoing.

According to the official police report, Helis and his companion, Antonio Castillo Dalit, who is among the most wanted persons in Laguna, were killed when they allegedly shot it out with policemen who were serving an arrest warrant against Dalit for alleged violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The police said Dalit and Helis drew their firearms and fired shots against the policemen, which resulted in an armed confrontation. But according to a relative of Dalit, the suspect had no firearm contrary to the claim of the police, adding that the weapon that the police presented was an airsoft gun.

At least 13 pieces of medium plastic sachets containing suspected shabu weighing more or less 50 grams worth P340,000 were recovered from the operation, the police said in its report. 

Other recovered items were two unit caliber 38 revolvers, P3,500 cash in different denominations, a digital weighing scale, and several pieces of Illegal drug paraphernalia. — RSJ, GMA News