By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) personnel will undergo training as the Philippine National Police (PNP) starts the roll out of body cameras for all of their units.

NOCPPO spokesperson Lt. Abegael Donasco said the body cameras would be used in police operations such as anti-drug operations.

The usage of the body cameras will also enable a more transparent operation as it would now become impossible to tamper evidence and the operation itself will now be recorded.

Donasco said cops who have body cameras will be unable to turn them off and even if they, do it will turn back on as it is controlled in the PNP’s command center.

The only limitation for the use of the camera, however, is that it only has a battery life of eight hours.

Furthermore, cops who have body cameras must take care that it does not get damaged and only those who have undergone proper training can use it.

Donasco added they have been using body cameras already, however, it was only used by a selected number of personnel.

Last week, PNP chief General Guillermo Eleazar formally led the launching of the body cameras at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

Eleazar said the use of the cameras will pave the way in lessening the number of police abuses as well as a protection for the cops themselves from unfair allegations./DGB, WDJ