TO avoid borrowing cameras from other police stations due to a lack of supply, the Police Regional Office Davao Region (PRO-Davao) intends to add more body-worn cameras (BWCs) for personnel who will be assigned to conduct police operations.
“May plano na po ang National Headquarter para dagdagan po ang issued body cameras (The National Headquarter already planned to issue more body cameras),” PRO-Davao regional director Brigadier General Benjamin Silo Jr., said during the AFP-PNP Press Conference at Royal Mandaya Hotel on November 2, 2022.
Silo said they do not have enough cameras to be used for all personnel who will be conducting police operations.
“We made simple adjustments since hindi naman kasi lahat ng stations meron. ‘Yong body-worn cameras namin distributed among the different component cities (not all stations have body-worn cameras. The cameras are distributed to different component cities only),” Silo said.
He said some stations are borrowing body cameras from other stations due to the lack of body-worn cameras.
“What we are doing right now to adjust with the limitations of the body-worn camera naghihiraman nalang kami kapag may mga operations (we are borrowing body-worn cameras from other stations if we have operations),” Silo said.
He said that ideally, each station should have at least five body-worn cameras. Silo added it is vital to wear a camera during operations to document it.
“BWCs are mandatory. [Use for] search warrant, buy-bust operation, actual police operations,” Silo said.
However, Silo said despite the lack of BWCs, if their personnel is conducting operations, they can be protected with the “presumption of regularity in the performance of duty.” This means that after an act is finished, it is assumed that it was carried out legally and according to protocol by the appropriate officer unless there is “very strong evidence to the contrary”.
“Ibigay natin ‘yong presumption na ‘yan, otherwise ‘yong mga taong may misyon na mangalaga ng katahimikan sa Davao Region as manghihina ang kalooban (Let’s give them this presumption privilege, otherwise, it could demoralize our personnel who are working hard to ensure the peace situation in the region),” Silo said. KSD