Espino: Body cameras to ensure transparency

CEBU, Philippines — As proof of “clean and transparent” anti-illegal drug operations, police operatives should be wearing body cameras, so said the highest-ranking police official in the region.

Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 Chief Jose Mario Espino sees the benefit in having body cameras on personnel operating against illegal drug targets.

“Body cameras will help in the conduct of operation,” Espino said.

This is contrary to the prior statement of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) Director Chief Superintendent Joseph Adnol that God will suffice as camera.

Espino said that putting body cameras will ensure that lessons from previous bloody police operations, which have placed the police force in hot waters, are learned.

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) became the first organization that would implement the use of body cameras in police operations after they have acquired six units of body cameras from private partners.

Espino also gave directives to assure that the regional office will have a thorough selection process for deserving cops that would be part of the drug enforcement unit.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s flagship campaign to cleanse the country of illegal drugs had taken thousands of lives during police operations.  The usual narrative is that the suspects fought it out with policemen during these operations.

However, when two minors were killed in two separate incidents, allegedly for being linked to illegal drugs, it sparked public outrage and condemnation.

It resulted to the president’s latest satisfaction ratings to drastically drop.

Last October 11, Duterte ordered the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to lead the president’s war against drugs, sidelining the PNP to conduct intelligence mining only.

However, Duterte changed his mind and directed the PNP to actively support the PDEA, being the lead agency, in the crackdown against drug peddlers.

PDEA-7 Director Emerson Margate, for his part, welcomed the PNP back to the drug war, as he admitted that the 1,200 PDEA personnel can’t do the job alone in one year.

Margate said they will also assign PDEA personnel in the ports to combat drug smuggling.

“One of the main sources of illegal drugs dito sa Pilipinas is through the ports na pumapasok dito sa bansa.  Ina-address natin, naglagay na ng office kasama ng Customs,” Margate said.

He said that with PDEA personnel at the entry points, he looks forward to seeing the reduction of the drug supply in the country.

Margate said that the drug price has already increased since a five-gram shabu is now sold at P40,000, when it used to be just peddled for P12,000 to P18,000.

“Ang isang indication ay drug price, as far as PDEA is concerned, hindi naman dumami masyado,” Margate said. —/GAN (FREEMAN)