PNP (Mark Balmores/ MANILA BULLETIN)

A Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official-turned-congressman has told the Philippine National Police (PNP) to step up its procurement of body-worn cameras or bodycams.

This, after Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan learned that, under the current procurement scheme, it would take the national police force around 20 years to provide every cop with these devices.

Yamsuan, in a recent hearing of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, advised attending PNP officials to “crunch its numbers” and maximize the use of its funds to cover the expenses for the procurement of bodycams.

He said the PNP should change its mindset and learn to keep up with advances in technology and other disruptive developments in the digital age.

“You should think about yourselves and enhancing the capability of your agency,” Yamsuan told the PNP, which is overseen by the DILG.

The PNP has proposed the acquisition of only 2,000 units of bodycams under its proposed budget for 2024. With a backlog of at least 43,000 bodycams as of this year, Yamsuan said it would take at least two decades for the PNP to completely fill it up under its current rate.

"If we think of it, it would take 20 years for us to fill the backlog," he said.

"This is very important, especially now, not only for the victims. Police are victims, too. If you are sued, wrongly accused, you need to protect yourselves," explained Yamsuan, a former DILG assistant secretary.

According to PNP Directorate for Logistics Deputy Director Flynn Dongbo, the PNP currently has 2,696 bodycams that were procured in 2021.

In a resolution dated June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court (SC) issued its rules requiring police officers to use bodycams while serving search and arrest warrants.