Solon urges PNP to buy 'cheaper' body-worn cameras

The Philippine National Police (PNP) should buy cheaper but more cost-efficient units of body-worn cameras in its next purchase to maximize their budget, a solon said on Tuesday.

House Committee on Public Order and Safety chairperson and Santa Rosa City District Representative Dan Fernandez pointed out that there are body cameras available with better prices and specifications.

"Magpu-purchase tayo in the real price. Hindi P26,000. Pumunta tayo sa presyong talagang high brand na mura. Kasi ang GoPro P20,000 lang pero high specs," he said during the committee hearing.

(We will purchase at the real price. Not P26,000. Let’s pursue those high brands with cheap prices. Because GoPro is only P20,000 but with high specs.)

Citing bidding documents, Fernandez said a unit of the body-worn cameras initially bought by the PNP cost P25,950. When he was mayor, Fernandez said he procured body cameras for only P8,000.

"Sana next time pagbili natin make it sure na yung brand natin is brand na medyo maganda kasi kapag titignan mo halos yung presyo natin na prinocure natin na P26,000 makakabili na tayo nung brand na the best na talaga," he said.

(Maybe in our next purchase make it sure it would be a better brand because if you check the P26,000 price of what you procured, we can already buy the best brand.)

Under the GAA 2018, a P333.994 million budget was allocated for body-worn cameras, according to PNP Directorate for Logistics’ Police Major General Ronaldo Olay.

Only 2,696 units of body-worn cameras were procured.

The remaining unused funds of P108 million were returned to the Bureau of Treasury based on the report of the Directorate for Comptrollership, Olay said.

"According to the Directorate for Comptrollership, the variants was reverted to the Bureau of Treasury as of December 2019," Olay said.

Fernandez expressed disappointment over the unutilized funds for body-worn cameras.

For 2024, Olay said the PNP is proposing to buy only 2,000 out of the 43,000 backlogs in body-worn cameras.

Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan said it would take at least two decades for the PNP to provide such devices to the entire police force.

"Kapag inisip natin, 20 years pa bago tayo ma-fill ang backlog (If we think of it, it would take 20 years for us to fill the backlog)," Yamsuan said.

For him, the PNP should fast-track its procurement of body-worn cameras 

He also advised the PNP to "crunch its numbers" and maximize the use of its funds to cover the expenses for the procurement of body cameras. 

In July 2021, the SC approved a resolution providing rules for the mandatory use of body-worn cameras during the execution of search and arrest warrants.

Under the resolution, law enforcers must have at least one body-worn camera and one alternative recording device or such number needed to record the relevant incidents during the execution of search or arrest warrants.

In case of unavailability of body-worn cameras, law enforcers shall file a motion before the court to use alternative recording devices for justifiable reasons.—VAL, GMA Integrated News