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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
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‘'•vlr. 
oi V't f 
. "i iri'
•17 
SEP 13 
P 5 : 1 7
SENATE
SENATE BILL NO. 1585
RECtlVtU ut.
7Z
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO
A i\ A»^i
MANDATING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO WEAR A BODY 
CAMERA 
DURING 
LAW ENFORCEMENT 
AND 
SPECIAL POLICE 
OPERATIONS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Since President Duterte declared War on Drugs, numerous controversies 
surrounded the conduct of police operations. The recent statistics of more than 
5,000 unresolved homicide cases created a stigma towards the Philippine 
National Police (PNP) as an institution that promotes lawless violence.
As reported on August 16, 2017, a Grade 11 student by the name of Kian 
Loyd Delos Santos was killed in an anti-drugs operation in Caloocan City. Police 
officers who conducted the operation claimed that Kian shot at them first and 
they were forced to fire back. However, a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) 
footage allegedly showed a different story.
For the reasons mentioned above, the proposed bill seeks for the 
mandatory use of Body Cameras for police officers who are tasked to conduct 
police and law enforcement operations. The Body Cameras are intended for 
recording police-civilian encounters or interactions for the purpose of ensuring 
the legitimacy of the operations and increasing the level of accountability to both 
law enforcement officers and the public. Moreover, the mandatory use of body
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camera by police personnel will also protect law enforcement personnel from 
any doubt and legal action as they perform their official functions.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is 
earnestly sought.
JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session
i C r T f  p f » • ' '  
'  
" . ’ f v
•17 
SEP 13 
P 5 : 1 7
SENATE
SENATE BILL NO. 1585
(\lCL VI L. u
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR lOSEPH VICTOR G. ETERCITO
AN ACT
MANDATING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO WEAR A BODY 
CAMERA DURING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SPECIAL POLICE 
OPERATIONS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
r * T  T T *  
T ^ c
1 iJlM
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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SEC. 1. Short Title. - This act shall be known as the 'Body Camera for Law
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Enforcement Personnel Act of 2017'
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SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms
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are defined as follows;
a) Law Enforcement Officer refers to any person authorized by law to 
prevent, investigate, conduct searches and other police operations, 
apprehend or detain individuals suspected or convicted of offenses 
under Philippine law's;
b) Law Enforcement Operation refers to any legitimate police operations 
which includes but not limited to service of warrants of arrest, 
implementation of search warrants, enforcement of visitorial powers, 
anti-illegal drug operation, anti-illegal gambling operations, anti-illegal 
logging 
operations, 
anti-carnapping 
operations, 
anti-cybercrime 
operations, special police operations and similar operations tliat are 
conducted to enforce laws, statutes, executive orders and ordinances.
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c) Video Footage refers to any images or video recorded by a Body Camera
d) Subject of the Video Footage refers to identifiable law enforcement officer 
or any identifiable suspect, victim, detainee, conversant, injured party, 
or other similarly situated person who appears on the body camera 
recording, and shall not include people who only incidentally appear 
on the recording.
e) Body Camera refers to a wearable body camera that is used by law 
enforcement officer by his/her agency tliat records botli audio and 
video w hen conducting police operations.
SEC. 3. Mandatory Use of Body Cameras - All law enforcement officers that 
conduct police operations shall be required to wear a body camera and record 
the events while in the course of conducting any police operations as defined 
in this Act.
SEC. 4. Guidelines for the Use of Body Cameras. - Any law enforcement 
nffirer m a n d a te d  to  w e a r a b o d y  ra m e ra  sh all e n s u re  that-
a. The body cameras shall be worn in a location that maximizes the 
camera's ability to perform its full potential by capturing audio and 
video footage of the law enforcement officer's activities.
b. Botli video and audio recording functions of the body camera shall be 
activated w henever a law enforcement officer is responding to a call for 
service or at the mitiation of any other law enforcement or investigative 
eacouuier between a law enforcement officer and a member of the 
public, except that when an immediate threat to the officer's life or 
safety makes activating the camera impossible of dangerous, the officer 
shall activate the camera at tlie first reasonable opportunity to do so. 
The body camera shall not be deactivated until tire encounter has 
concluded and the law enforcement officers leave the scene.
SEC. 5. Prohibition on the use of Body Cameras - The use of body camera 
shall not be allowed in tire following instances:
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a) Body cameras shall not be used to gather inteUigence information based 
on protected speeches, associations, or religion, or to record activity that 
is umelated to a response to a caU for service or a law enforcement or 
investigative encounter between a law enforcement officer and the 
member of the public.
b) U w  enforcement officers shaU not activate the camera while on the 
grounds of any public, private or parochial elementary or secondare 
school, except when responding to an imminent threat to life or heaiai.
c) Video footage shall not be divulged or used by any law enforcement 
agency tor any commercial or otlier non-law enforcement purpose.
d) No government agency or official, or law enforcement agency, officer,
or official may public disclose, release, or share body camera video 
looiage.
e) Body cameras shall not be used surreptitiously.
•SEC. 6. PpnaWps. - Any act or omission causing the violation of duties
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mandated under this Act shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding fifty
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thousand pesos (P50,000.00) and/or suspension without pay for a period not
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exceeding three (3) months, without prejudice to other administrative, civil or
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criminal liabilities that may arise tlierefrom
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SEC. 7. funding. - Tlie initial amount necessary for tire implementation of this
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Act ShaU be charged against the current fiscal year's appropriation of the law
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enforcement agencies involved, such as, but not limited to, the PNP, NBr and
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PDEA, Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued
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mplem entation of this Act shall be included in Ure annual General
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Appropriations Act.
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SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act or part hereof 
be declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions or parts not 
affected thereby shaU remain valid and effective.
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SEC. 9. Repeal,„g Clause. - AU laws, decrees, orders, and issuances or
L T e b T  
7 ° /' WhlCh are taconsistent with 
provisions of Uris Acf'are 
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SEC fO. Effectivity. - TIris Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days front its 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,
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