The Tagbilaran City Police Station (TCPS) will be among the 12 police stations in Central Visayas which will be allocated body-worn cameras by the Philippine National Police, said PNP chief General Guillermo Eleazar.

Eleazar, during his brief visit in Bohol Monday, told reporters in an ambush interview that the TCPS will get 16 body-worn cameras.

The PNP has not yet included municipal police stations in the allocation of the cameras.

“Itong body cams na in-issue sa ating para lang sa city police stations yun, so yung mga walang city hindi muna sila mabibigyan,” Eleazar said.

The country’s top cop noted that the private sector and local government units may donate body cameras to the police force.

Meanwhile, the PNP is looking into the possibility of using other recording devices which may also provide transparency on the conduct of police operations.

“Pinagaaralan namin yan through a technical working group at sa tingin naming na hindi naman kailangan na merong issued na body-worn camera…hintayin natin ang maging resulta sa ating TWG study,” Eleazar said.

The use of body-worn cameras was first proposed in 2017 as part of efforts to ensure transparency in the conduct of police operations.

Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) director Col. Osmundo Salibo had earlier expresses optimism that the devices would put to rest doubts from the public on police operatives’ conduct of apprehensions and help ensure that cops follow protocols in carrying out operations.

Recently, various police teams particularly the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were accused of planting evidence during the arrest to a barangay councilor in Trinidad and a pastor in Mabini.

The families of the suspects, Barangay Councilor Carmilo Tabada and pastor Nathaniel Vallente who were nabbed for gun charges, have denounced the apprehensions and announced their intent to take legal action while the CIDG maintained that protocols were followed during their operation in late June. (A. Doydora)