Body cam battery drained, fails to record shooting in Jemboy case

The body camera used during the police operation which resulted in the shooting to death of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar didn't capture the action on video because it ran out of battery.

At the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangeroud Drugs, Police Staff Sergeant Johnvir Tagacay before the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee which investigates the death of Jemboy.

“Na-low batt po talaga ‘yung battery,” Tagacay said when asked to explain why the body cam failed to record any video.

“Actually, your honor, naka-green lang, naka open lang po ‘yung body camera hindi po nag-record,” he added.

(The battery got drained. The camera was green. It was turned on but did not record.)

Baltazar was shot and killed earlier this month 

Tagacay told the Senate committee that there were two teams that used the body-worn camera and it was assigned to their group on the day Jemboy was killed.

He said he and his team were assigned as perimeter security during the operations and he wore it in his chest but they were 100 to 200 meters away from the area where Jemboy was shot.

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Senator Risa Hontiveros found the explanation unacceprtable.

“Tumigil ang body-worn camera na ibingay, nag-appropriate ang Kongreso, inutos ng Korte Suprema na laging buksan sa ganitong mga operasyon, dahil sa low bat? Di ba ‘yan ang pinaka-low level na paghahanda sa anumang ganitong plano?” Hontiveros said.

(The body-worn camera for which Congress appropriated funds, which the Supreme Court mandated to be always on for these types of operations, because it ran out of battery? Isn't this the lowest level of readiness in any plan like this?)

"Pinaka-crucial ‘yon, Nasa operation kayo at saka pa magka-lowbatt? Ang hirap tanggapin niyan, e," Dela Rosa said.

(That's the most crucial. You're already in the operation when your ran out of battery? That's difficult to accept.)

Dela Rosa said he didn’t believe that the battery would be drained easily as body-worn cameras were expensive. —NB, GMA Integrated News